title: OsHKT1;4-mediated Na(+) transport in stems contributes to Na(+) exclusion from leaf blades of rice at the reproductive growth stage upon salt stress.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Na(+) exclusion from leaf blades is one of the key mechanisms for glycophytes to cope with salinity stress. Certain class I transporters of the high-affinity K(+) transporter (HKT) family have been demonstrated to mediate leaf blade-Na(+) exclusion upon salinity stress via Na(+)-selective transport. Multiple HKT1 transporters are known to function in rice (Oryza sativa). However, the ion transport function of OsHKT1;4 and its contribution to the Na(+) exclusion mechanism in rice remain to be elucidated.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Here, we report results of the functional characterization of the OsHKT1;4 transporter in rice. OsHKT1;4 mediated robust Na(+) transport in Saccharomyces cerevisiae and Xenopus laevis oocytes. Electrophysiological experiments demonstrated that OsHKT1;4 shows strong Na(+) selectivity among cations tested, including Li(+), Na(+), K(+), Rb(+), Cs(+), and NH4 (+), in oocytes. A chimeric protein, EGFP-OsHKT1;4, was found to be functional in oocytes and targeted to the plasma membrane of rice protoplasts. The level of OsHKT1;4 transcripts was prominent in leaf sheaths throughout the growth stages. Unexpectedly however, we demonstrate here accumulation of OsHKT1;4 transcripts in the stem including internode II and peduncle in the reproductive growth stage. Moreover, phenotypic analysis of OsHKT1;4 RNAi plants in the vegetative growth stage revealed no profound influence on the growth and ion accumulation in comparison with WT plants upon salinity stress. However, imposition of salinity stress on the RNAi plants in the reproductive growth stage caused significant Na(+) overaccumulation in aerial organs, in particular, leaf blades and sheaths. In addition, (22)Na(+) tracer experiments using peduncles of RNAi and WT plants suggested xylem Na(+) unloading by OsHKT1;4.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Taken together, our results indicate a newly recognized function of OsHKT1;4 in Na(+) exclusion in stems together with leaf sheaths, thus excluding Na(+) from leaf blades of a japonica rice cultivar in the reproductive growth stage, but the contribution is low when the plants are in the vegetative growth stage.
authors.affiliation: Division of Applied Biology, Faculty of Textile Science and Technology, Shinshu University, 3-15-1, Tokida, Ueda, Nagano, 386-8567, Japan. 13fm712k@shinshu-u.ac.jp.
authors.forename: Kei
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Suzuki
authors.affiliation: Institute of Plant Science and Resources, Okayama University, Chuo 2-20-1, Kurashiki, 710-0046, Japan. n-yamaji@rib.okayama-u.ac.jp.
authors.forename: Naoki
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Yamaji
authors.affiliation: Department of Biosciences, University of Milan, Via G. Celoria 26, 20133, Milan, Italy. alex.costa@unimi.it.|Institute of Biophysics, Consiglio Nazionale delle Ricerche, Via G. Celoria 26, 20133, Milan, Italy. alex.costa@unimi.it.
authors.forename: Alex
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Costa
authors.affiliation: Graduate School of Environmental and Life Science, Okayama University, 1-1-1 Tsushima-naka, Okayama, 700-8530, Japan. pspi7e8i@cc.okayama-u.ac.jp.
authors.forename: Eiji
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Okuma
authors.affiliation: Graduate School of Agricultural and Life Sciences, The University of Tokyo, 1-1-1 Yayoi, Bunkyo-ku, Tokyo, 113-8657, Japan. anikoba@mail.ecc.u-tokyo.ac.jp.
authors.forename: Natsuko I
authors.initials: NI
authors.lastname: Kobayashi
authors.affiliation: Division of Applied Biology, Faculty of Textile Science and Technology, Shinshu University, 3-15-1, Tokida, Ueda, Nagano, 386-8567, Japan. tkashiwagi60069@gmail.com.
authors.forename: Tatsuhiko
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Kashiwagi
authors.affiliation: Institute of Plant Science and Resources, Okayama University, Chuo 2-20-1, Kurashiki, 710-0046, Japan. kmaki@okayama-u.ac.jp.
authors.forename: Maki
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Katsuhara
authors.affiliation: Division of Biological Sciences, Cell and Developmental Biology Section, University of California, SanDiego, La Jolla, CA, 92093-0116, USA. cuwang@ucsd.edu.
authors.forename: Cun
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.affiliation: Graduate School of Agricultural and Life Sciences, The University of Tokyo, 1-1-1 Yayoi, Bunkyo-ku, Tokyo, 113-8657, Japan. uktanoi@mail.ecc.u-tokyo.ac.jp.
authors.forename: Keitaro
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Tanoi
authors.affiliation: Graduate School of Environmental and Life Science, Okayama University, 1-1-1 Tsushima-naka, Okayama, 700-8530, Japan. muta@cc.okayama-u.ac.jp.
authors.forename: Yoshiyuki
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Murata
authors.affiliation: Division of Biological Sciences, Cell and Developmental Biology Section, University of California, SanDiego, La Jolla, CA, 92093-0116, USA. jischroeder@ucsd.edu.
authors.forename: Julian I
authors.initials: JI
authors.lastname: Schroeder
authors.affiliation: Institute of Plant Science and Resources, Okayama University, Chuo 2-20-1, Kurashiki, 710-0046, Japan. maj@rib.okayama-u.ac.jp.
authors.forename: Jian Feng
authors.initials: JF
authors.lastname: Ma
authors.affiliation: Division of Applied Biology, Faculty of Textile Science and Technology, Shinshu University, 3-15-1, Tokida, Ueda, Nagano, 386-8567, Japan. horie@shinshu-u.ac.jp.
authors.forename: Tomoaki
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Horie
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D027682:Cation Transport Proteins / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*; D020869:Gene Expression Profiling; D017343:Genes, Plant; D017136:Ion Transport; D009865:Oocytes; D012275:Oryza / Q000378:metabolism*; D010641:Phenotype; D018515:Plant Leaves / Q000378:metabolism; D010940:Plant Proteins / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*; D018547:Plant Stems / Q000378:metabolism; D011523:Protoplasts / Q000378:metabolism; D034622:RNA Interference; D011993:Recombinant Fusion Proteins / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D012441:Saccharomyces cerevisiae / Q000235:genetics; D012964:Sodium / Q000378:metabolism*; D012965:Sodium Chloride / Q000378:metabolism; D013312:Stress, Physiological; D027981:Symporters / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*; D014982:Xenopus laevis / Q000235:genetics
chemical_list: D027682:Cation Transport Proteins; C088864:HKT1 protein, plant; D010940:Plant Proteins; D011993:Recombinant Fusion Proteins; D027981:Symporters; D012965:Sodium Chloride; D012964:Sodium