Discerning the Dynamics of Sodium Transport in Plants Crucial for Developing Crops Resilient to Salt Stress

This review focuses on sodium (Na⁺) transport in plants which is a complex process. Understanding about the genes that are implicated in Na⁺ transport is of prime importance since their overexpression can lead to transgenic crop plants that tolerate high levels of salt stress conditions. Movement of Na⁺ from the soil into the roots is accomplished by non-selective cation channels (NSCCs) besides high affinity potassium transporters (HKTs). Its egress takes place at the membrane level by salt overly sensitive pathway (SOS), which is well characterized genetically. Information about the genes associated with tissue specific expressions for Na⁺ sequestration into the vacuoles is largely obscure, but is being unravelled slowly. Such a comprehensive understanding about the Na⁺ movement from the soil to the root, its loading into xylem, long-distance transport to the leaf blade, and compartmentalization into the vacuole in a tissue-specific manner appears crucial for developing climate-resilient crop plants in future.