Comparative Transcriptome Analysis Reveals the Underlying Response Mechanism to Salt Stress in Maize Seedling Roots

Abstract

Crop growth and development can be impeded by salt stress, leading to a significant decline in crop yield and quality. This investigation performed a comparative analysis of the physiological responses of two maize inbred lines, namely L318 (CML115) and L323 (GEMS58), under salt-stress conditions. The results elucidated that CML115 exhibited higher salt tolerance compared with GEMS58. Transcriptome analysis of the root system revealed that DEGs shared by the two inbred lines were significantly enriched in the MAPK signaling pathway–plant and plant hormone signal transduction, which wield an instrumental role in orchestrating the maize response to salt-induced stress. Furthermore, the DEGs’ exclusivity to salt-tolerant genotypes was associated with sugar metabolism pathways, and these unique DEGs may account for the disparities in salt tolerance between the two genotypes. Meanwhile, we investigated the dynamic global transcriptome in the root systems of seedlings at five time points after salt treatment and compared transcriptome data from different genotypes to examine the similarities and differences in salt tolerance mechanisms of different germplasms.