Identification of the () Family Involved in the Adaptation of (Pall.) Kuntze to Saline-Alkaline and Drought Habitats.

(Pall.) Kuntze (Aizoaceae, 2n = 2x = 32), a vegetable used for both food and medicine, is a halophyte that is widely distributed in the coastal areas of the tropics and subtropics. Saline-alkaline soils and drought stress are two major abiotic stressors that significantly affect the distribution of tropical coastal plants. Abscisic acid-, stress-, and ripening-induced (ASR) proteins belong to a family of plant-specific, small, and hydrophilic proteins with important roles in plant development, growth, and abiotic stress responses. Here, we characterized the gene family from , which contained 13 paralogous genes, and divided TtASRs into two subfamilies based on the phylogenetic tree. The genes were located on two chromosomes, and segmental duplication events were illustrated as the main duplication method. Additionally, the expression levels of s were induced by multiple abiotic stressors, indicating that this gene family could participate widely in the response to stress. Furthermore, several TtASR genes were cloned and functionally identified using a yeast expression system. Our results indicate that s play important roles in ' responses to saline-alkaline soils and drought stress. These findings not only increase our understanding of the role ASRs play in mediating halophyte adaptation to extreme environments but also improve our knowledge of plant ASR protein evolution.