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Abstract
When under salt stress, plants maintain a high concentration of K(+) and a low concentration
of Na(+) in the cytosol. They do this by regulating the expression and activity of
K(+) and Na(+) transporters and of H(+) pumps that generate the driving force for
transport. Although salt-stress sensors remain elusive, some of the intermediary signaling
components have been identified. Evidence suggests that a protein kinase complex consisting
of the myristoylated calcium-binding protein SOS3 and the serine/threonine protein
kinase SOS2 is activated by a salt-stress-elicited calcium signal. The protein kinase
complex then phosphorylates and activates various ion transporters, such as the plasma
membrane Na(+)/H(+) antiporter SOS1.