Transcriptome Sequencing of Rectretohalophyte Aeluropus lagopoides Revealed Molecular Insight of Salt Stress Adaptation

Aeluropus lagopoides sequesters excess salt on its leaf surface via salt glands to maintain osmotic and ionic balance during salt stress. The present study aimed to identify the molecular responses involved in salt excretion, osmotic adjustment, and transcriptional regulation during NaCl treatment at different time points using RNA-seq analysis. In total, 460.8 million raw reads were generated, resulting in the de novo assembly of 592,893 transcripts. Differential expression analysis revealed 3150 and 6548 unique differentially expressed genes (DEGs) in shoot and root samples, respectively. Gene ontology (GO) enrichment analysis revealed that genes involved in kinase activity and calcium transport activity were regulated at 2 h, while genes related to phosphatase activity, ATP-dependent transport, water transport, and potassium transport were regulated at 24 h and 48 h of salt stress. DEGs associated with kinases ( CIPK6 , CIPK23 , and CIPK29 ), transcription factors ( ERF RAP2-13, WRKY 33, ZFP 52 ), and transporters ( NHX2 , KUP19 , KUP9 ) were significantly up-regulated at different time points. Additionally, genes related to osmoprotectant biosynthesis, antioxidative enzymes, and late embryogenesis abundant family (LEA) were found up-regulated. The RNA-seq data were correlated with qPCR analysis of 12 stress-responsive DEGs. Further, the qPCR expression analysis revealed up-regulation of trichome initiation genes during salt stress, shedding light on the development of salt glands. Overall, these results provide valuable insights into the molecular mechanisms underlying the salt stress response of A. lagopoides .