Isolation of ascorbate peroxidase (APX) gene in lentil (Lens culinaris Medik.) and expression analysis under drought stress conditions

Abstract

Objective: The objective of this study was to isolate partial cDNA that belongs to the ascorbate peroxidase (APX) gene of lentil (Lens culinaris Medik.) and to express LcAPX gene in lentil seedlings under drought stress conditions. Material and Methods: To identify the relationships between drought stress and LcAPX gene expression, lentil seedlings grown for 2 weeks were subjected to drought stress through not irrigating for 6, 13, and 20 days. Effects of drought stress were determined by measuring the stem relative water content (RWC). Gene expression changes in lentil seedlings were determined with real-time RT-qPCR. Results: The LcAPX gene expression levels of both drought-tolerant Firat-87 and drought-sensitive Ozbek cultivars varied with the severity of drought stress. The gene expression of LcAPX reached the highest level in Firat-87 cultivar on the 6th day, whereas a significant increase was observed only on the 20th day of the Ozbek cultivar, and this increase was relatively low as compared to the Fırat-87 cultivar. Conclusion: From the study conducted, it was concluded that time-dependent changes of the expression of LcAPX gene indicates that LcAPX gene had a highly specific gene expression profile and complex regulation in lentil drought response.