Genome-Wide Characterization of Drought-Responsive Genes Accelerates Faba Bean Breeding Program

Abstract

rought is an influential environmental stress that limits faba bean growth and development, leading to a substantial reduction in their productivity in both arid and semi-arid region of the world. However, the responses of faba bean to drought have not been illustrated very well at molecular level. Six cultivars of faba beans and their fifteen hybrids in F2 were used to investigate the transcriptome, proteome, and metabolome changes. In the present study, two-weeks-old seedlings were deficit by seven days drought stress, whereas control seedlings were watered regularly. The results indicated that water deficiency negatively influences substantial physiological and metabolic parameters in faba bean crop. Under drought stress, values of biomass and chlorophyll in the