Genome-wide association studies identify OsWRKY53 as a key regulator of salt tolerance in rice

Salinity stress progressively reduces plant growth and productivity, while plant has developed complex signaling pathways to confront salt stress. However, only a few genetic variants have been identified to mediate salt tolerance in the major crop rice, and the molecular mechanism remains poorly understood. Here, we identify ten candidate genes associated with salt-tolerance (ST) traits by performing a genome-wide association analysis in rice landraces. We characterize two ST-related genes, encoding transcriptional factor OsWRKY53 and Mitogen-activated protein Kinase Kinase OsMKK10.2, that mediate root Na