Comparison of Protein Changes in the Leaves of Two Bread Wheat Cultivars with Different Sensitivity under Salt Stress

Aims: Wheat performance under both Irrigated and dry land areas is affected by salinity and decreased. Like other plants, wheat cultivars try to indicate salt resistance through biochemical, physiological and morphological changes. In this study, responsive proteins in wheat leaves under salt stress were investigated by proteomics technique.
Study Design: Factorial experiment based on a randomized complete block design
Methodology: In this research, tolerant (Roshan) and sensitive (Ghods) cultivars were treated by 200mM salinity during 17 days. A proteomic technique was used to study proteins of leaf. Proteins of the leaves were extracted by TCA–acetone, and separated by two-dimensional gel electrophoresis at pH 4–7.
Results: 200 repeatable spots were identified by using Melanie software and analyzed statically. 24 and 12 responsive spots were identified by using MALDI TOF-TOF mass spectrometry in tolerant and sensitive cultivars respectively. 5 responsive proteins were overlap between both cultivars. In tolerant cultivar, Expression of 19 spots was increased and expression of 5 spots was decreased. All the identified proteins are involved in the regulation of carbohydrate, energy and nitrogen metabolism, photosynthesis related proteins, ROS scavenging proteins, signaling related protein, transporters and chaperon. But, all identified proteins except one of them in sensitive cultivar were down regulated under salt stress.
Conclusion: Based on this study, salt tolerant cultivar could alleviate salt stress. But salt sensitive cultivar couldn’t tolerate salinity and it seems that salt stress have destructive effects on its proteins. In other words, protein compositions of salt sensitive cultivar are more deeply damaged by salt stress than salt tolerant cultivar and protein decay could be a marker of the sensitivity of the concerned cultivar.