In Vitro Studies of Salt Tolerance at the Physiological and Molecular Levels in Two Cultivars of Emmer Wheat (Triticum dicoccum Schrank ex Schübl)

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This study aimed to investigate salt stress response mechanisms of Turkish emmer (Triticum dicoccum Schrank) under in vitro conditions in terms of certain reference genes such as SOS1 and SERK1 and physiological parameters associated with salt stress. We determined the expression level of SOS1 and SERK1 genes in response to salinity stress and we investigated the changes in the contents of osmolytes such as proline and soluble sugar, and certain oxidative parameters such as H2O2, and malondialdehyde (MDA) in the callus tissues under different salt concentrations (50, 150, and 200 mM NaCl). The results indicated that the calli of both cultivars decreased SOS1 gene expression in response to the low salt doses. Both cultivars increased SERK1 gene expression in response to the salt doses; with only one difference, Carcioglu has succeeded this in low salt and Durakli in high salt such as 250 mM. The Carcioglu cultivar responded to salt stress better than the Durakli cultivar in terms of increasing proline content. The salt applications generally decreased soluble sugar content in the callus cultures of both cultivars and the decreases were more prominent in the Durakli cultivar. Carcioglu decreased H2O2 and MDA contents at especially 150 mM salt while the Durakli cultivar failed to reduce their contents in any of the salt doses studied. The findings obtained from gene expressions and physiological parameters support each other, it can be suggested that the Carcioglu cultivar has a higher response to salt stress than the Durakli cultivar.