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Molecular and morphological evaluation of transgenic Persian walnut plants harboring Fld gene under osmotic stress condition

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Abstract

Background

Soil drought stress is a limiting factor of productivity in walnut (Juglans regia L). Ferredoxin (Fd) level decreases under adverse environmental stress. Functional replacement of decreased Fd by Fld (Flavodoxin) had been shown to have protective effect under abiotic stress condition. This study aimed to evaluate four transgenic lines (L3, L4, L13 and L17) along with non-transgenic line under three osmotic stresses levels (0, 10 and 12% PEG).

Methods and results

This experiment carried out based on a completely randomized design with four replications. To confirm that the Fld gene is successfully integrated into the walnut genome, PCR and dot blot analysis were carried out. The transgenic lines of walnut expressing Fld displayed increased tolerance to osmotic stress at 10 and 12% PEG condition. Lines expressing Fld exhibited increasing tolerance to drought stress and maintained health of plants under osmotic conditions. Results of real time PCR showed that expression level of Fld gene in L4 was higher than the others. Among transgenic lines, L4 was more tolerant than other lines under osmotic stress.

Conclusions

These findings indicate that expression of Fld gene can increase tolerance to osmotic stress in Persian walnut and is useful tool for walnut production in arid and semi-arid regions.

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taken from three independent biological replicates. Different lower case letters above columns indicate significant difference at the (P < 0.05) and indicate significant differences when compared with control N (WT) plants

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Acknowledgements

We thank the Iran National Science Foundation (INSF) and University of Tehran for financial support.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Horticulture, College of Aburaihan, University of Tehran, Tehran, Iran

    Mansoureh Nazari & Kourosh Vahdati

  2. Department of Plant Biotechnology, Faculty of Science and Biotechnology, Shahid Beheshti University, Tehran, Iran

    Masoud Tohidfar

  3. Department of Agronomy and Plant Breeding Sciences, College of Aburaihan, University of Tehran, Tehran, Iran

    Hossein Ramshini

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  1. Mansoureh Nazari
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  4. Kourosh Vahdati
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Contributions

KV and MT led and coordinated the project. KV and MT designed the study. KV, MN, MT and HR performed the experiments and analyzed the obtained data. All authors made substantial contributions to interpretation of data as well as participate in drafting the manuscript. Also, all authors read and approved the final manuscript.

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Correspondence to Kourosh Vahdati.

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Nazari, M., Tohidfar, M., Ramshini, H. et al. Molecular and morphological evaluation of transgenic Persian walnut plants harboring Fld gene under osmotic stress condition. Mol Biol Rep 49, 433–441 (2022). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11033-021-06893-x

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11033-021-06893-x

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