Ipomoea batatas HKT1 transporter homolog mediates K+ and Na+ uptake in Saccharomyces cerevisiae

Soil salinity causes the negative effects on the growth and yield of crops. In this study, two sweet potato (Ipomoea batatas L.) cultivars, Xushu 28 (X-28) and Okinawa 100 (O-100), were examined under 50 and 100 mmol L−1 NaCI stress. X-28 cultivar is relatively high salt tolerant than O-100 cultivar. Interestingly, real-time quantitative polymerase chain reaction (RT-qPCR) results indicated that sweet potato high-affinity K+ transporter 1 (IbHKT1) gene expression was highly induced by 50 and 100 mmol L−1 NaCl stress in the stems of X-28 cultivar than in those of O-100 cultivar, but only slightly induced by these stresses in the leaves and fibrous roots in both cultivars. To characterize the function of IbHKT1 transporter, we performed ion-flux analysis in tobacco transient system and yeast complementation. Tobacco transient assay showed that IbHKT1 could uptake sodium (Na+). Yeast complementation assay showed that IbHKT1 could take up K+ in 50 mmol L−1 K+ medium without the presence of NaCl. Moreover, Na+ uptake significantly increased in yeast overexpressing IbHKT1. These results showed that IbHKT1 transporter could have K+-Na+ symport function in yeast. Therefore, the modes of action of IbHKT1 in transgenic yeast could differ from the mode of action of the other HKT1 transporters in class I. Potentially, IbHKT1 could be used to improve the salt tolerance nature in sweet potato.