Deciphering the Biological Mechanism of Wheat's Response to Salt Stress through Transcriptomic Analysis and Co-Expression Network Profiling

To investigate the molecular mechanism underlying salt tolerance in wheat, we conducted comprehensive transcriptome analyses at the seedling and germination stages. Two wheat cultivars, CM6005 (salt-tolerant) and KN9204 (salt-sensitive) were subjected to salt treatment, resulting in a total of 24 transcriptomes. Through expression-network analysis, we identified 17 modules, 16 and 13 of which displayed a high correlation with salt tolerance-related phenotypes in the germination and seedling stages, respectively. Moreover, we identified candidate Hub genes associated with specific modules and explored their regulatory relationships using co-expression data. Enrichment analysis revealed specific enrichment of gibberellin-related terms and pathways in CM6005, highlighting the potential importance of gibberellin regulation in enhancing salt tolerance. In contrast, KN9204 exhibited specific enrichment in glutathione-related terms and activities, suggesting the involvement of glutathione-mediated antioxidant mechanisms in conferring resistance to salt stress. Additionally, glucose transport was found to be a fundamental mechanism for salt tolerance during wheat seedling and germination stages, indicating its potential universality in wheat. Wheat plants improve their resilience and productivity by utilizing adaptive mechanisms like adjusting osmotic balance, bolstering antioxidant defenses, accumulating compatible solutes, altering root morphology, and regulating hormones, enabling them to better withstand extended periods of salt stress.