One of the most prominent families of genes in plants is the AP2/ERF which play an important role in regulating plant growth and responses to various stresses. In this research, a genome-wide survey was conducted to recognize the AP2/ERF genes in sunflower (Helianthus annuus L.), and a total of 288 HaAP2/ERF was obtained. Phylogenetic analysis divided them into four sub-families, including 248 ERF, 4 RAV and 35 AP2, and one subgroup of the Soloist family. Localization of chromosome, gene structure, the conserved motif, gene ontology, interaction networks, homology modeling, the modeling of cis-regulatory elements and the analysis of events in the duplication of genes were carried out for HaAP2/ERF genes. Finally, 9AP2/ERF genes were chosen to confirm the gene expression of the selected genes in leaf and root tissues in various abiotic stress conditions by qPCR. The results confirmed that AP2/ERFs genes could effectively resist abiotic stress. Also, proline content was studied under drought, salinity, cold and heat stress. The results indicated that proline was increased under abiotic stress. This research has been done for the first time to determine the HaAP2/ERF family, which prepared valuable data for the evolutionary and practical research regarding AP2/ERF in sunflower.

This study concerns the taxonomic investigation of the Iranian diploid Triticum gene pool using morphology and PCR-SSCP analysis of ITS nrDNA. A co-occurrence of two character states of leaf indumentum and anther length was found to be diagnostically significant among these taxa. Three SSCP profiles were detected among our specimens. Sequencing the representatives of different SSCP patterns detected three new nrITS haplotypes. Based on the results of this study we concluded that the genus Triticum at diploid level is represented by two taxa in Iran : T. monococcum subsp. aegilopoides and T. urartu, which is a new taxonomic interpretation of the former taxon. The phylogenetic neighbor-joining tree based on nrITS confirms this interpretation.

In this study, 129 individuals belonging to the Iranian wild diploid Triticum gene pool were screened using PCR-SSCP based on Acc1 and Pgk1 loci. Sequencing of the representatives of different SSCP patterns allowed for detection of three haplotypes for each of the loci. The phylogenetic relationships among the Iranian wild diploid Triticum haplotypes and related genera were analyzed using DNA sequences from these two single copy loci. Despite previous reports that recommended the usefulness of nuclear single copy genes for phylogenetic inference, the Bayesian and parsimony analyses carried out in this study showed that these two loci were not applicable tools in the phylogeny reconstruction of diploid Triticum gene pool. Thus, our findings confirm that phylogenetic relationships among recently diverged species are often difficult to resolve due to insufficient phylogenetic signal in available markers and/or conflict among gene trees.

To preliminarily evaluate the genetic diversity of the Iranian diploidTriticumL. gene pool, in this study, a total of 176 individuals belonging toT. monococcumL. ssp.aegilopoides(Link) Thell. andT. urartuThum. ex Gandil. were pre-screened using single-strand conformation polymorphism (SSCP) analysis of theAcc-1andPgk-1loci. A selected set of 76 DNA samples corresponding to the observed SSCP variants were sequenced for both loci and evaluated for nucleotide diversity associated with the taxonomic groups and geographical regions. We found three haplotypes, including one that was new for Iran, at each locus. Population structure and analysis of molecular variation results proved that the collection evaluated could be genetically divided into two distinct groups, which to a great extent was in accordance with the taxonomic classification. A genetic leakage fromT. monococcumssp.aegilopoidesintoT. urartuwas observed during structure analysis, which was inferred on the basis of occasional outcrossing, despite their inbreeding nature. The results revealed that there was no variation within the populations belonging toT. urartu, while a meaningful variation was found between the geographical regions forT. monococcumssp.aegilopoides. The median-joining networks revealed a conflict between morphology and haplotype variation, which was interpreted on the basis of introgressive hybridization, recombination signature and rapid speciation. In conclusion, we suggest that SSCP analysis is a useful tool in regions where thorough sequencing of an enormous number of DNA samples is time consuming and not affordable.

Introduction: It is obvious that all plants adopt mechanisms to control NaCl accumulation because sodium chloride is the most soluble and most abundant salt. Binweed (Convolvulus arvensis L.) is among the ten widespread noxious weeds in the world that it is reproduced by seed, horizontal lateral root, and rhizome. Because of the extensive underground root system of the bindweed with abundant buds and established root reserves, binweed competes more tolerant than crops under salinity and drought stress. More information on morphophysiological traits of binweed under salinity conditions and comparison of salinity tolerance index between germination and seedling can also be contributed to the most effective management. In order to investigate the germination and seedling growth characteristics of binweed two experiments were conducted separately under salinity stress.Materials and Methods: Germination experiment was done in a completely randomized design with 9 levels of salinity stresses include 0 (control), 5, 10, 15, 20, 25, 30, 35, and 40 dS.m -1 , with four replications in the lab. The seedling experiment was performed in a random complete block design consisted of five levels of salinity (tap water, 10, 20, 30, and 40 dS.m -1 ) with three replications as the pot in a non-shade greenhouse of Agricultural College of Shahid Chamran University of Ahvaz.Results: The results showed that with raising salinity, percentage germination and vigure index of seed declined, but Radicle/ Plumule ratio rose. After two weeks, in response to salinity a decrease in root and shoot characteristics of the seedling was observed. Salinity stress data were fitted to a three-parameter logistic for seedling stage showed that the salinity levels higher than 7.86 dS.m -1 led to 50 percent reduction in tolerance index. It was found that 19.84 dS.m -1 caused 50% decrease in the tolerance index at germination stage. Sufficient tolerance index growth stage variation in response to salinity was found which suggests that bindweed tolerance to salinity at germination stage is about 3 times more than that of seedling stage.Conclusions: Radicle/ plumule ratio at germination stage and root lateral branches at seedling stage increased in concentrations of up to 25 and 20 dS.m -1 , respectively. It seems the maintenance of root area and branches in response to increased salinity provide an acceptable mechanism of salinity tolerance for binweed. According to the three-parameter logistic model, the salinity tolerance of bindweed at germination and seedling stages was estimated at 20 and 8 dS.m -1 , respectively.