Functional Screening and Genetic Engineering of Mangrove Salt Responsive Genes: A Review

Abstract

Day by day increase in soil salinity has a negative impact on global food production. Salt stress leads to dehydration and osmotic stress resulting in stomatal closure and increased production of reactive oxygen species. This causes irreversible cellular damage and photo inhibition leading to serious damage to the plant cellular processes. Major crop plants are categorized under Glycophytes, which can’t grow in the presence of high salt concentrations. Hence, the necessity for developing salt stress tolerant plants deserves much attention, though it is a herculean task. In the recent past a large number of plants are being engineered with salt stress tolerant genes in all the possible ways. However, a meaningful approach towards bio engineering for salinity tolerance could be the tuning of halophyte genes. Halophytes are plants, capable of growing under high salt concentrations. Mangroves are woody halophytes which possess an efficient ion influx and efflux regulatory mechanism by means of which they regulate their cellular ionic conditions. The present review depicts genetic engineering studies and genetically modified plant varieties using mangrove genes thus far and suggests possible gene candidates for upcoming transgenic research.