Investigating biochemical traits and expression of some candidate genes involved in drought tolerance in two varieties of bread wheat

Water deficit, followed by drought stress in plants, is one of the first and most important causes of disruption in cellular mechanisms, oxidative stress, and is a serious threat and limitation for agricultural products. In this research, evaluation of biochemical traits (cellular oxidation rate and chlorophyll a and b) and the transcription rate of some antioxidant genes including catalase (CAT), ascorbate peroxidase (APX) and glutathione reductase (GR) evaluated by real time PCR under the influence of different levels Drought stress was conducted in the research farm of Zabol Agricultural College in the form of a split plot experiment in the form of a block design with three replications on wheat cultivars (Kalate and Ehsan). The first factor of cultivars and the second factor of irrigation levels included 0.3 times (crop capacity as a control treatment), 2 times and 4 times. The results of variance analysis of biochemical traits showed that the effect of drought stress was significant for these traits as well as the difference between cultivars. The results of examining the expression of CAT, APX and GR genes in the conditions of applying irrigation levels showed a different trend in the cultivars of this research and they had an increase in expression along with an increase in drought stress levels, and this increase in expression in Kalate variety was 3.45, respectively. , 10.10, 6.2 times compared to control) for CAT, APX, GR genes during stress was -4 times more than Ehsan variety. In this research, Kalate cultivar was in a more favorable condition in terms of most of the investigated traits.