RNA-seq of the birch under salt stress
The birch (Betula platyphylla) seedlings were cultivated in pots containing a soil/perlite mixture (2:1 v/v) in a greenhouse maintained at 20-24 C with a 16-hour light/8-hour dark photoperiod and 70.0% relative humidity. After three weeks of growth under well-watered conditions, the roots of the plants were exposed to 200 mmol/L NaCl for durations of 1, 3, 5, 9, 12, and 24 hours, respectively. This schedule ensured that all samples could be collected simultaneously, minimizing molecular background variations due to temporal rhythms. Post-treatment, leaves were harvested for RNA-seq analysis.