Rana Munns & Mark Tester
talk with ScienceWatch.com and answer a few
questions about this month's New Hot Paper in the field of
Plant & Animal Science.
Article Title: Mechanisms of salinity
tolerance
Authors: Munns,
R;Tester, M
Journal: ANNU REV PLANT BIOL
Volume: 59
Issue:
Page: :651-681
Year: 2008
* CSIRO Plant Ind, Canberra, ACT, Australia.
* CSIRO Plant Ind, Canberra, ACT, Australia.
* Australian Ctr Plant Funct Genom, Adelaide, SA,
Australia.
* Univ Adelaide, Adelaide, SA 5005, Australia.
Why do you think your paper is highly
cited?
Salinity is a topic that attracts significant attention in plant science,
as it is of both intellectual and applied interest. This review synthesizes
thinking based on a sum of 50 years' experience from the two authors, both
of whom have separately published well-regarded reviews in the past.
Does it describe a new discovery, methodology, or
synthesis of knowledge?
The paper describes a new synthesis of knowledge, clearly proposing three
main components of salinity tolerance and outlining approaches that might
be taken to quantify them and also tackle their molecular basis through
genetics.
Would you summarize the significance of your paper
in layman's terms?
Coauthor
Mark Tester
Salinity tolerance is complex and, for the field to make progress, this
complexity needs to be simplified by dividing up the plant responses into
separate components whereby each of these components can be studied
separately. This review provides the framework for such future studies.
How did you become involved in this research, and
were there any problems along the way?
Rana Munns moved into this research as a young postdoctoral researcher, and
she has been involved in studying salinity tolerance ever since. Mark
Tester has more recently moved into salinity research, in the process of
seeking to apply his knowledge of membrane transport to a whole plant
physiological issue of practical relevance.
Where do you see your research leading in the
future?
In the short term, genetic studies of salinity tolerance are undoubtedly an
emphasis, using high-throughput physiological assays to allow positional
cloning of genes conferring tolerance to the various salinity tolerance
components.
Looking ahead, our research will deliver genetic material to plant breeders
for commercialization. We want to overcome the difficulties of the
practical deployment of scientific advances, such as so often blights
significant breakthroughs. The example of cystic fibrosis is
salutary—where a range of difficulties have thus far limited the
therapeutic benefits of wonderful research breakthroughs.
Do you foresee any social or political implications
for your research?
Yes, the implications are significant, both for helping agriculture in
developing countries to improve the salinity tolerance of plants relevant
to food production and environmental sustainability and also for the
consideration of the benefits of genetically modified crops in developed
countries.
Mark Tester, Ph.D.
Professor
Australian Centre for Plant Functional Genomics
Director
Australian Plant Phenomics Facility
The University of Adelaide
Glen Osmond, AU Web ¦ Web ¦
Web ¦
Web ¦
Web
Dr. Rana Ellen Munns, FAA
Chief Research Scientist
CSIRO Plant Industry
Canberra, Australian Capital Territory, AU Web
KEYWORDS: SALT TOLERANCE; SALINITY STRESS; SODIUM TOXICITY;
CHLORIDE; STRESS TOLERANCE.