Transcriptomic analysis of Musa acuminata cv. Mas reveals salinity stress-responsive small open reading frames
Wei Yang Kurk, Jennifer Ann Harikrishna, Kousuke Hanada and Chee How Teo
Abstract: Soil salinity severely limits crop productivity, especially in fruit crops such as banana (Musa acuminata L.). While most studies focus on protein-coding genes, small open reading frames (sORFs) are emerging as potential regulators of salinity stress responses. This study aimed to investigate the transcriptional response of sORFs in M. acuminata cv. Mas under salinity stress using RNA sequencing and NanoString validation. Transcriptomic analysis was performed on banana plantlets treated with 0 mM and 300 mM NaCl to assess gene expression under control and high salinity conditions. A total of 136 differentially expressed sORFs were identified, including 131 annotated and 5 novel sORFs. Gene Ontology analysis showed their enrichment in oxidoreductase activity, ion transport, and photosynthesis, while KEGG analysis highlighted roles in tryptophan metabolism and MAPK signaling. These findings reveal the potential regulatory functions of sORFs in banana salinity stress responses and underscore their potential as targets for developing salinity-tolerant cultivars.