Comparative Transcriptomic Analysis Reveals Salt Stress Adaptation Mechanisms in Cultivated Rice Varieties (Oryza sativa)

Salt stress is an injurious concern of global climate change that negatively impacts the growth and yield of rice plants. Identifying salt tolerance genes is essential to understanding the molecular mechanism regulating salt tolerance in rice. In this study, we treated two rice varieties, Xiangxiuzhan (XXZ) and Changxiang (CXG), with 100 mM NaCl to examine the effect on the germination and growth stages. Transcriptome analysis was investigated for changes in gene expression between the two varieties. During the germination stage, the CXG variety had higher germination potential than the XXZ variety, whereas in the growth stage, the XXZ variety showed higher survival efficiency than the CXG variety. Transcriptome analysis showed that the XXZ variety had more DEGs in grains, while CXG displayed greater DEGs in leaves and roots. Gene Ontology (GO) and KEGG pathway showed that beta-alanine metabolism, cutin biosynthesis, and plant hormone signal transduction were over-represented, whereas heatmap analysis showed cellular and environmental signal transduction. This study focuses on the molecular pathways of the salt stress tolerance mechanism of Xiangxiuzhan and Changxiang varieties.