Alfalfa MsSOS2 confers salinity tolerance by promoting lateral root growth and regulating Na⁺/K⁺ homeostasis.

ABSTRACT: Salinity is a major abiotic stress limiting plant productivity. The Salt Overly Sensitive (SOS) pathway, comprising SOS1, SOS2, and SOS3, is central to ion homeostasis under salt stress. While the pathway has been extensively studied in model plants, its components remain uncharacterized in Medicago sativa (alfalfa), a moderately salt-tolerant forage crop of global economic importance. Here, we report the functional characterization of MsSOS2, a CIPK family gene and putative ortholog of AtSOS2. Sequence analysis revealed that MsSOS2 possesses conserved domains essential for kinase activity, including a kinase domain, activation loop, the phosphatidic acid (PA)-binding site, and NAF motif. Phylogenetic analysis placed MsSOS2 with AtSOS2 and OsSOS2. Yeast-two-hybrid assays confirmed the inte

SUBMITTER: Acharya BR 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC12680707 | biostudies-literature | 2025 Dec

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature