NHX1 — Oryza sativa Japonica

Summary

Rice NHX1 (Os07g0666900) encodes a sodium:hydrogen exchanger with potassium:proton antiporter activity, belonging to the NaH_exchanger and cation/H_exchanger_CPA1 families. The protein localises to the vacuolar membrane, vacuole, plastid, mitochondria, cytosol and plasmalemma. NHX1 is associated with salt stress tolerance, drought resistance, grain yield, seedling vigour, spikelet fertility, photosynthetic rate, chlorophyll content, carotenoid content, water use efficiency, and root and shoot growth in rice. It has been linked to zeaxanthin anabolism, C4 photosynthesis, photoprotection, nitrogen fixation, cytokinin anabolism, calcium signalling, cell pH regulation, and vacuolar membrane transport. Studies of related genes in other species connect the family to potassium accumulation, ion homeostasis, vacuolar pH regulation, heat tolerance, seed germination, biomass production and disease resistance.