Study of MYB Transcription Factor Gene Expression in Some Bread Wheat Cultivars of Sistan Region, Iran

Drought, an abiotic stress, considered as one of the factors limiting food resources. The plant responses to adaptive to such a condition are accompanied with changes in the expression pattern of some functional as well as regulatory genes. The MYB proteins include a big family of transcription factors which are highly important in regulating development process and immunizing responses of plants. This research was conducted to evaluate the expression of TaMYB73 transcription factor and catalase and polyphenol peroxidase enzymes activity in bread wheat cultivars (Hamoon, Hirmand, Kavir, Bolani, and Cross Bolani) under drought stress conditions. Factorial experiment was conducted in pot based on a completely randomized block design with three replications. Following 45 days from seed planting (fourleaf stage), drought stress was done at five levels of different irrigation and then the leaves of treated plants were sampled to measure of enzyme activity and gene expression. After RNA extraction and cDNA synthesis, the gene expression pattern was evaluated using Real-time PCR and data analysis was performed via 2 ct method. The results showed that TaMYB73 gene expression level as well as the catalase and polyphenol peroxidase enzymes activities corresponding to the Hirmand cultivar was higher than the other cultivars.