GmSALT3

Gene Details:

GmSALT3 (a cation-proton exchanger protein) confers net shoot exclusion for both Na+ and Cl− and improves salt tolerance of soybean| however, how the ER-localized GmSALT3 achieves this is unknown.
GmSALT3 restored growth of K+-uptake-defective Escherichia coli and contributed towards net influx and accumulation of Na+, K+ and Cl− in Xenopus laevis oocytes, while GmSALT3 was non-functional.
GmSALT3 encodes a protein from the cation/H+ exchanger family that we localized to the endoplasmic reticulum and which is preferentially expressed in the salt-tolerant parent Tiefeng 8 within root cells associated with phloem and xylem.
GmSALT3, was the first example of a transporter contributing to reduced net transfer of salt to the shoot in soybean.
GmSALT3 is a gene associated with salt tolerance with great potential for soybean improvement.
We propose that the endomembrane GmSALT3 has a complex physiological role which ultimately impacts multiple ion fluxes across the plasma membrane.