Halophytes for Stress Related Gene Resources, Saline Agriculture and Potential Hyperaccumulators

Halophytes are salt-tolerant flowering plants growing in saline habitats and they have the unique ability to complete their life cycle in saline conditions. With increasing soil salinization near the marine ecosystem, halophytes have been studied for their ecological, physiological, molecular, anatomical, and biochemical responses toward salinity. These saline habitats contain an excess of salt and heavy metals. Halophytes are able to counter these stresses by employing various strategies including reduction of the toxic ion influx, compartmentalization and excretion of ions, succulence, synthesis of osmolytes, antioxidants, and compatible solutes. Halophytes have been explored for saline agriculture, metabolites, seed-storage proteins, and as bioenergy crops. They are an essential source of salt tolerance-related genes and many of these genes have been overexpressed in genetically engineered crops. Phytoremediation of salinity and heavy metals affected soils is another crucial challenge and halophytes are suitable hyperaccumulators for enhanced remediation of contaminated areas leading to better environmental safety.

Halophytes are known for their capacity to accumulate higher levels of salt and heavy metals usually responsible for various physiological aberrations. Representing an estimated 2% of total plants, many halophytes are still unexplored and may have the potential to reduce land degradation and soil salinization. Obligate halophytes in particular grow in very high saline conditions near coastal areas through the development of salt glands or bladders along with other aerial parts. These halophytes can be substantial components and may impact the entire coastal marine ecosystem and the behavior of other species. With climate change and increasing anthropogenic activities, it is imperative to cultivate different species of halophytes on saline and heavy-metal contaminated lands for soil rejuvenation and explore the maximum potential of their metabolite production and phytoremediation. Studies on halophytes majorly focussed on managing sodium ions that can create an ionic imbalance with potassium ions, and other secondary effects. We are seeking studies on well-defined molecular, physiological, and biochemical defense mechanisms of action performed by the cross-talk of genes and gene products in halophytes against salinity stress. We aim to provide a pool of genes as a resource that can be targeted to enhance the salinity tolerance of other essential crops.

We are looking for high-quality manuscripts with original research and novel data that advances the understanding of halophytes in various aspects. The following subject areas are included, but not limited to:

 Molecular mechanism of salinity tolerance by halophytes at genetic and proteomic levels.

 Patterns of salinity tolerance with respect to gene expression including transcriptomic studies. This includes annotation and characterization of important salinity-responsive genes in halophytes.

 Novel physiological and biochemical mechanisms explain the adaptation of halophytes under extreme salinity conditions and their responses to various environmental stresses.

 Applications of halophyte cultivation and impact on coastal marine ecosystem including other species.

 Saline agriculture for metabolite production.

 Halophytes as potential hyperaccumulators for phytoremediation of toxic ions from affected soils near coastal areas.

Keywords: Halophyte, Abiotic stress, Phytoremediation, Saline agriculture, Hyperaccumulator

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