Figure 4

Prominent transporter and ABA biosynthesis activity in the epidermal bladder cells. (A) Photos of quinoa leaves and salt bladders. Left: top view of a 7-week-old quinoa plant. Right top: abaxial side of the fourth leaf of a 7-week-old quinoa plant; right bottom, epidermal bladder cells under a stereoscopic microscope, which are present at both the adaxial and abaxial leaf surfaces. (B) Transcript levels of ABA synthesis pathway genes in the leaf and the bladder cells. Only the genes that have a RPKM value higher than 1 in at least one tissue were presented. (C) Heatmap of the transcript level of genes involved in ABA transport and perception in the leaf and the bladder cells. (D) Copy number of genes that encode specific ion transporters, hemoglobin and sugar transporters mediating growth and stress response in quinoa and other plant species. Red numbers indicate gene copy numbers that are higher in quinoa. The phylogenetic relationship of these species is indicated at the top of the graph, inferred from orthologous gene sets. Species are indicated by two-letter names: Ah, Amaranthus hypochondriacus; At, Arabidopsis thaliana, Bv, sugar beet (Beta vulgaris), Cq, quinoa (Chenopodium quinoa), Sl, tomato (Solanum lycopersicum), So, spinach (Spinacia oleracea L.), St, potato (Solanum tuberosum), Vv, grape (Vitis vinifera).