Salt-Tolerant Plant Gene Expression Under Salinity Stress

Gene expression analysis in salt-tolerant Salicornia europaea reveals key stress response mechanisms under increasing salinity. The study optimised RNA extraction, cDNA synthesis, and qPCR protocols for saline plant material, identifying Actin and UBC as stable reference genes across salinity levels and developmental stages. A proline transporter gene showed upregulated expression under high salinity, indicating its potential as a molecular marker for early stress detection. L-proline accumulation was confirmed as a response to osmotic stress from salinity and drought. The research forms part of the AQUACOMBINE project, applying a circular bioprocessing approach to integrate aquaculture, farming, and value-added product development. Plant tissues were flash-frozen, homogenised in liquid nitrogen, and processed using commercial kits with two DNase treatments to remove DNA. cDNA synthesis used 250 ng total RNA, random nonamers, oligo-dT primers, and Moloney murine leukemia virus reverse transcriptase. The findings support the use of specific genes as biomarkers for salinity stress in crop improvement and sustainable agriculture.