Harnessing Halophilic Microbial Genes for Improving Salinity Stress Tolerance in Rice: Genetic Engineering for Climate-Resilient Agriculture

Soil salinity is a major abiotic stress that severely affects rice (Oryza sativa) productivity by disrupting water uptake, ionic balance, and photosynthesis, especially in salt-prone regions. This review explores recent advances in microbial biotechnology as a dual strategy to enhance salt tolerance in rice. The primary aim is to assess the potential of halophilic and halotolerant microorganisms both as bioinoculants and as genetic sources for engineering salt-resilient rice cultivars. Functionally, these microbes produce compatible solutes, operate ion transport systems, and express stress-responsive proteins, which help them survive under extreme salinity. Through synthetic biology and metagenomic approaches, several microbial genes have been identified that can be transferred into rice to improve osmotic balance and ion homeostasis. Concurrently, plant growth-promoting rhizobacteria (PGPR), particularly salt-tolerant strains such as Bacillus flexus and Halomonas spp., have shown promising results in enhancing root architecture, antioxidant defense, and nutrient uptake in saline conditions. The integration of synthetic microbial consortia and genetically engineered rice offers a synergistic model for stress management. This paper also outlines the mechanistic insights, benefits, and limitations of microbial gene expression in plants, the challenges of environmental variability and host compatibility, and the need for multi-site field validation. In conclusion, microbial-based approaches whether through direct inoculation or transgenic methods-present a sustainable and innovative path toward climate-resilient rice farming in saline-affected areas.

کلیدواژه ها:

Salt stress ، Halophilic microorganisms ، Genetic engineering ، PGPR (Plant Growth-Promoting Rhizobacteria)