Cold stress increases salt tolerance of the extremophytes Eutrema salsugineum (Thellungiella salsuginea) and Eutrema (Thellungiella) botschantzevii.

A comparative study was performed to analyze the effect of cold acclimation on improving the resistance of Arabidopsis thaliana, Eutrema salsugineum and Eutrema botschantzevii plants to salt stress. Shoot FW, sodium and potassium accumulation, metabolite content, expression of proton pump genes VAB1, VAB2,VAB3, VP2, HA3 and genes encoding ion transporters SOS1, HKT1, NHX1, NHX2, NHX5 located in the plasma membrane or tonoplast were determined just after the cold treatment and the onset of the salt stress. In the same cold-acclimated E. botschantzevii plants, the Na+ concentration after salt treatment was around 80% lower than in non-acclimated plants, whereas the K+ concentration was higher. As a result of cold acclimation, the expression of, VAB3, NHX2, NHX5 genes and of SOS1, VP2, HA3 genes was strongly enhanced in E. botschantzevii and in E. salsugineum plants correspondently. None of the 10 genes analyzed showed any expression change in A. thaliana plants after cold acclimation. Altogether, the results indicate that cold-induced adaptation to subsequent salt stress exists in the extremophytes E. botschantzevii and to a lesser extend in E. salsugineum and is absent in Arabidopsis. This phenomenon may be attributed to the increased expression of ion transporter genes during cold acclimation in the Eutrema species.