Effect of water stress on expression level of MTNAF, MTNAC and GMAC genes in lentil (Lens culinaris M.)

Iran with rainfall of 240 mm per year belongs to arid and semi-arid regions of the world. Lentil (Lens culinaris M.) is one of the most important legumes around the world. In this study, levels of water stress (including irrigation up to 50% of field capacity and 25% of field capacity) for 7 days were applied on lentil seedlings in a completely randomized design with three replications in greenhouse. After treatment, shoots and roots were harvested and the expression of NAC genes was analyzed using qRT-PCR method. The expression analysis of NAC genes was performed in three biological and two technical replications. The means comparison by Duncan test showed a significant difference among all three gene expressions in the aboveground tissues. The GmNAC expression was significant in both treatments, but for MtNAC and MfNAC genes, significant differences were observed in 25% stress condition compared to control. Although MfNAC expression increased in both shoots and roots, the expression in shoot was much higher than root. In roots, significant differences were observed in 25% stress condition comparing to control. In shoots, expression of MtNAC gene was significantly increased in both stress treatments and in roots, only treatment 25% showed a significant difference with control. The increase in expression in the roots was less than shoot. In shoots, expression of GmNAC gene in the treatment of 50% was higher than treatment of 25% but the increase in expression in the root was same in both stress treatments. In general, MtNAC and MfNAC genes appear to be more important in the shoot. The current study is the first report of expression analysis of MfNAC, MtNAC and GmNAC genes in lentil under water stress conditions.