title: Salt stress signals shape the plant root.
abstract: Plants use different strategies to deal with high soil salinity. One strategy is activation of pathways that allow the plant to export or compartmentalise salt. Relying on their phenotypic plasticity, plants can also adjust their root system architecture (RSA) and the direction of root growth to avoid locally high salt concentrations. Here, we highlight RSA responses to salt and osmotic stress and the underlying mechanisms. A model is presented that describes how salinity affects auxin distribution in the root. Possible intracellular signalling pathways linking salinity to root development and direction of root growth are discussed. These involve perception of high cytosolic Na+ concentrations in the root, activation of lipid signalling and protein kinase activity and modulation of endocytic pathways.
authors.affiliation: Section of Plant Physiology, Swammerdam Institute for Life Sciences, University of Amsterdam, Science Park 904, Amsterdam, The Netherlands.
authors.forename: Carlos S
authors.initials: CS
authors.lastname: Galvan-Ampudia
authors.forename: Christa
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Testerink
mesh_terms: D000040:Abscisic Acid / Q000378:metabolism; D000222:Adaptation, Physiological; D017360:Arabidopsis / Q000187:drug effects / Q000254:growth & development / Q000378:metabolism; D001692:Biological Transport; D006706:Homeostasis; D007210:Indoleacetic Acids / Q000378:metabolism; D008954:Models, Biological; D009997:Osmotic Pressure; D063245:Plant Development; D018521:Plant Physiological Phenomena; D018517:Plant Roots / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000254:growth & development* / Q000378:metabolism; D010944:Plants / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000378:metabolism; D054712:Salinity; D055049:Salt Tolerance; D015398:Signal Transduction; D012965:Sodium Chloride / Q000494:pharmacology*; D012987:Soil; D013312:Stress, Physiological
chemical_list: D007210:Indoleacetic Acids; D012987:Soil; D012965:Sodium Chloride; D000040:Abscisic Acid