The V-ATPase subunit A is essential for salt tolerance through participating in vacuolar Na+ compartmentalization in Salicornia europaea.

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CONCLUSION: The V-ATPase subunit A participates in vacuolar Na + compartmentalization in Salicornia europaea regulating V-ATPase and V-PPase activities. Na+ sequestration into the vacuole is an efficient strategy in response to salinity in many halophytes. However, it is not yet fully understood how this process is achieved. Particularly, the role of vacuolar H+-ATPase (V-ATPase) in this process is controversial. Our previous proteomic investigation in the euhalophyte Salicornia europaea L. found a significant increase of the abundance of V-ATPase subunit A under salinity. Here, the gene encoding this subunit named SeVHA-A was characterized, and its role in salt tolerance was demonstrated by RNAi directed downregulation in suspension-cultured cells of S. europaea. The transcripts of genes encoding vacuolar H+-PPase (V-PPase) and vacuolar Na+/H+ antiporter (SeNHX1) also decreased significantly in the RNAi cells. Knockdown of SeVHA-A resulted in a reduction in both V-ATPase and vacuolar H+-PPase (V-PPase) activities. Accordingly, the SeVHA-A-RNAi cells showed increased vacuolar pH and decreased cell viability under different NaCl concentrations. Further Na+ staining showed the reduced vacuolar Na+ sequestration in RNAi cells. Taken together, our results evidenced that SeVHA-A participates in vacuolar Na+ sequestration regulating V-ATPase and V-PPase activities and thereby vacuolar pH in S. europaea. The possible mechanisms underlying the reduction of vacuolar V-PPase activity in SeVHA-A-RNAi cells were also discussed.