Most plants encounter stress such as drought and salinity that adversely affect growth, development and crop productivity. The expression of the gene glutathione-s-transferases (GST) extends throughout various protective mechanisms in plants and allows them to adapt to unfavorable environmental conditions. GSTF1 (the first phi GSTFs class) gene expression patterns in the wheat cultivars Mahuti and Alamut were studied under salt and ABA treatments using a qRT-PCR technique. Results showed that gene expression patterns were significantly different in these two cultivars. Data showed that in Mahuti, there was an increase of transcript accumulation under salt and ABA treatments at 3h, 10h and 72h respectively. In Alamut, however, the pattern of transcript accumulation was different; the maximum was at 3h. In contrast, there were no significant differences observed between the cultivars for GSTF1 gene expression profiles at three levels of NaCl concentration (50, 100, and 200 mM) or in ABA (Abscisic Acid) treatment. It is likely that difference of gene expression patterns between the cultivars (Mahuti as a salt tolerant cultivar and Alamut as a salt sensitive cultivar) is due to distinct signaling pathways which activate GSTF1 expression. Lack of a significant difference between the GSTF1 gene expression profile under salt and ABA treatments suggests that the GSTF1 gene is not induced by stress stimuli. Of course it is possible that other levels of NaCl and ABA treatments cause a change in the GSTF1 gene.
Keywords: ABA; GSTF1; qRT-PCR; salinity; wheat.