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Unraveling salinity stress responses in ancestral and neglected wheat species at early growth stage: A baseline for utilization in future wheat improvement programs

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Abstract

In this study, we analyzed the behavior of several neglected, ancestral, and domesticated wheat genotypes, including Ae. triuncialis, Ae. neglecta, Ae. caudata, Ae. umbellulata, Ae. tauschii, Ae. speltoides, T. boeoticum, T. urartu, T. durum, and T. aestivum under control and salinity stress to assess the mechanisms involved in salinity tolerance. Physiological and biochemical traits including root/shoot biomasses, root/shoot ion concentrations, activity of antioxidant enzymes APX, SOD, and GXP, and the relative expression of TaHKT1;5, TaSOS1, APX, GXP, and MnSOD genes were measured. Analysis of variance (ANOVA) revealed significant effects of the salinity treatments and genotypes for all evaluated traits. Salinity stress (350 mM NaCl) significantly decreased root/shoot biomasses, K+ concentration in root/shoot, and root/shoot K+/Na+ ratios. In contrast, salinity stress significantly increased Na+ concentration in root and shoot, activity of antioxidant enzymes (APX, SOD, and GPX) and relative expression of salt tolerance-related genes (TaHKT1;5, TaSOS1, APX, GPX, and MnSOD). Based on heat map and principal component analysis, the relationships among physiological traits and relative expression of salt-responsive genes were investigated. Remarkably, we observed a significant association between the relative expression of TaHKT1;5 with root K+ concentration and K+/Na+ ratio and with TaSOS1. Taken together, our study revealed that two neglected (Ae. triuncialis) and ancestral (Ae. tauschii) wheat genotypes responded better to salinity stress than other genotypes. Further molecular tasks are therefore essential to specify the pathways linked with salinity tolerance in these genotypes.

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Abbreviations

SFW:

Shoot fresh weight

RFW:

Root fresh weight

SDW:

Shoot dry weight

RDW:

Root dry weight

LN:

Leaf Na+ concentration

LK:

Leaf K+ concentration

RN:

Root Na+ concentration

RK:

Root K+ concentration

LKN:

K+/Na+ ratio of leaf

RKN:

K+/Na+ ratio of root

APX activity:

Ascorbate peroxidase activity

GPX activity:

Guaiacol peroxidase activity

SOD activity:

Superoxide dismutase activity

APX gene:

APX gene expression

GPX gene:

GPX gene expression

SOD gene:

MnSOD gene expression

SOS1 gene:

TaSOS1 gene expression

TaHKT1;5 gene:

TaHKT1;5 gene expression

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Acknowledgements

The authors acknowledge with thanks the technical and lab facilities support from the Genetic and Genomic laboratory of Department of Genetics and Plant Breeding, Imam Khomeini International University, Qazvin, Iran.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Genetics and Plant Breeding, Faculty of Agriculture and Natural Resources, Imam Khomeini International University, Qazvin, Postal Code: 34148 - 96818, Iran

    Jafar Ahmadi, Sedigheh Fabriki Ourang & Pezhman Khalili

  2. Seed and Plant Improvement Institute, Agricultural Research, Education and Extension Organization (AREEO), Karaj, Iran

    Alireza Pour-Aboughadareh

  3. Botany Unit, Finnish Museum of Natural History, University of Helsinki, P.O. Box 7, 00014, Helsinki, Finland

    Peter Poczai

  4. Department of Molecular Plant Physiology, Institute for Water and Wetland Research, Radboud University, 6500 GL, Nijmegen, The Netherlands

    Peter Poczai

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  1. Jafar Ahmadi
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  2. Alireza Pour-Aboughadareh
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Correspondence to Jafar Ahmadi.

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Ahmadi, J., Pour-Aboughadareh, A., Fabriki Ourang, S. et al. Unraveling salinity stress responses in ancestral and neglected wheat species at early growth stage: A baseline for utilization in future wheat improvement programs. Physiol Mol Biol Plants 26, 537–549 (2020). https://doi.org/10.1007/s12298-020-00768-4

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