Soil salinization is a global problem that limits crop yields and threatens agricultural development. Auxin-induced expansins contribute to plant salt tolerance through cell wall loosening. However, how auxins and expansins contribute to the adaptation of the halophyte quinoa (Chenopodium quinoa) to salt stress has not yet been reported. Here, auxin was found to contribute to the salt tolerance of quinoa by promoting the accumulation of photosynthetic pigments under salt stress, maintaining enzymatic and nonenzymatic antioxidant systems and scavenging excess reactive oxygen species (ROS). The Chenopodium quinoa expansin (Cqexpansin) family and the auxin pathway gene family (Chenopodium quinoa auxin response factor (CqARF), Chenopodium quinoa auxin/indoleacetic acid (CqAux/IAA), Chenopodium quinoa Gretchen Hagen 3 (CqGH3) and Chenopodium quinoa small auxin upregulated RNA (CqSAUR)) were identified from the quinoa genome. Combined expression profiling identified Chenopodium quinoa α-expansin 50 (CqEXPA50) as being involved in auxin-mediated salt tolerance. CqEXPA50 enhanced salt tolerance in quinoa seedlings was revealed by transient overexpression and physiological and biochemical analyses. Furthermore, the auxin pathway and salt stress-related genes regulated by CqEXPA50 were identified. The interaction of CqEXPA50 with these proteins was demonstrated by bimolecular fluorescence complementation (BIFC). The proteins that interact with CqEXPA50 were also found to improve salt tolerance. In conclusion, this study identified some genes potentially involved in the salt tolerance regulatory network of quinoa, providing new insights into salt tolerance.
Keywords: Cqexpansin; antioxidant capacity; auxin; auxin pathway gene; salt stress.