Leaf Transcription Factor Family Analysis of Halophyte Glaux maritima under Salt Stress

Abstract

The reduction of crop yield caused by soil salinization has become a global problem. Halophytes improve saline alkali soil, and the halophyte transcription factors that regulate salt stress are crucial for improving salt tolerance. In this study, 1466 transcription factors were identified by transcriptome sequencing analysis of Glaux maritima leaves after salt stress (0, 600, and 800 mM/L NaCl). Their genes were distributed across 57 transcription factor families. KEGG and GO analyses showed significant enrichment in 14 pathways, with a total of 54 functions annotated. Gene expression analysis showed 820 differentially expressed genes distributed in 11 transcription factor families, including ERF, bHLH, WRKY, and NAC, and 8 expression modules. KEGG analysis revealed four genes with significant positive regulation: ABF2 (Unigene0078257) in the ABA signaling pathway, EIN3 (Unigene0000457 and Unigene0012139), and EIL1 (Unigene0042139) involved in ethylene signal transduction, and two with negative regulation, MYC1/2 (Unigene0009899 and Unigene0027167) in the main regulator of Jasmonic acid signal transduction. Protein–protein interaction networks suggested ABF2 and MYC1/2 as important transcription factors regulating G. maritima salt tolerance. Overall, the salt-tolerant transcription factors discovered in this study provide genetic resources for plant salt tolerance inheritance, and lay a theoretical foundation for the study of the salt-tolerant molecular mechanism of the halophyte Glaux maritima.