Salt gland development and salt tolerance: <scp>LbSAD2</scp> ‐mediated regulation in <i>Limonium bicolor</i>

Soil salinization poses a growing threat to global agriculture, prompting efforts to enhance plant salt tolerance. Recretohalophytes, such as Limonium bicolor, have evolved salt glands - specialized epidermal structures that actively secrete excess salt to survive in saline environments. A recent study identified the importin-β protein LbSAD2 as a key regulator of salt gland development, acting via interaction with Lb2G12567, and repressed by Lb2G12077. Functional studies confirmed that this regulatory module enhances both gland density and salinity tolerance. Comparative insights from Arabidopsis reveal that SAD2-mediated nuclear transport integrates stress and developmental signalling. This reveals the emerging molecular framework linking nuclear transport to epidermal specialization in halophytes, and outlines future directions to explore the evolutionary conservation and biotechnological potential of LbSAD2-mediated salt gland regulation.