Editing Halotolerance (section)

==Cellular functions in halophytes==
Tolerance of high salt conditions can be obtained through several routes. High levels of salt entering the plant can trigger ionic imbalances which cause complications in respiration and photosynthesis, leading to reduced rates of growth, injury and death in severe cases. To be considered tolerant of saline conditions, the [[protoplast]] must show methods of balancing the toxic and [[osmotic]] effects of the increased salt concentrations. Halophytic vascular plants can survive on soils with salt concentrations around 6%, or up to 20% in extreme cases ([[ocean salinity]] is around 3.5%). Tolerance of such conditions is reached through the use of [[stress proteins]] and compatible cytoplasm osmotic solutes.<ref name=Gupta-2014>{{cite journal| title=Mechanism of Salinity Tolerance in Plants: Physiological, Biochemical, and Molecular Characterization| first1=Bhaskar| last1=Gupta| first2=Bingru| last2=Huang| journal=[[International Journal of Genomics]]| volume=2014| pages=701596| doi=10.1155/2014/701596| pmid=24804192| pmc=3996477| date=3 April 2014| doi-access=free}}</ref>

To exist in such conditions, halophytes tend to be subject to the uptake of high levels of salt into their cells, and this is often required to maintain an osmotic potential lower than that of the soil to ensure water uptake. High salt concentrations within the cell can be damaging to sensitive organelles such as the chloroplast, so sequestration of salt is seen. Under this action, salt is stored within the [[vacuole]] to protect such delicate areas. If high salt concentrations are seen within the vacuole, a high concentration gradient will be established between the vacuole and the cytoplasm, leading to high levels of energy investment to maintain this state. Therefore, the accumulation of compatible cytoplasmic osmotic solutes can be seen to prevent this situation from occurring. [[Amino acid]]s such as proline accumulate in halophytic [[Brassica]] species, quaternary ammonium bases such as Glycine Betaine and sugars have been shown to act in this role within halophytic members of [[Chenopodiaceae]] and members of [[Asteraceae]] show the buildup of cyclites and soluble sugars. The buildup of these compounds allow for the balancing of the osmotic effect while preventing the establishment of toxic concentrations of salt or requiring the maintenance of high concentration gradients.{{Citation needed|date=January 2022}}