Systematic hormone-metabolite network provides insights of high salinity tolerance in Pongamia pinnata (L.) pierre

Salinity stress results significant losses in plant productivity, and loss of cultivable lands. Although Pongamia pinnata is reported to be a salt tolerant semiarid tree crop, the adaptive mechanisms to saline environment are elusive. The present investigation describes alterations in hormonal and metabolic responses in correlation with physiological and molecular variations in leaves and roots of Pongamia at sea salinity level (3% NaCl) for 8 days. At physiological level, salinity induced adjustments in plant morphology, leaf gas exchange and ion accumulation patterns were observed. Our study also revealed that phytohormones including JAs and ABA play crucial role in promoting the salt adaptive strategies such as apoplasmic Na+ sequestration and cell wall lignification in leaves and roots of Pongamia. Correlation studies demonstrated that hormones including ABA, JAs and SA showed a positive interaction with selective compatible metabolites (sugars, polyols and organic acids) to aid in maintaining osmotic balance and conferring salt tolerance to Pongamia. At the molecular level, our data showed that differential expression of transporter genes as well as antioxidant genes regulate the ionic and ROS homeostasis in Pongamia. Coll...Continue Reading