Scientific publications

The effect of low temperature (4°С) and cadmium sulphate (100 μМ) on WCS120 dehydrin gene expression in wheat seedlings (Triticum aestivum L.) cv. Moskovskaya 39 leaves was studied. While inhibiting the growth of seedlings, low temperature and cadmium had no negative effect on relative water content or membrane permeability of leaf cells. It was established that after 30 min of exposure to 4°С temperature the wheat cold tolerance increased and reached a maximum on the 6th – 7th day of the experiment. Exposure of the seedlings to cadmium also promoted their cold tolerance, but this effect was lower than under low temperature. The mRNA WCS120 dehydrin gene content in leaves rose in the initial period (after 30 min – 1 h) of cold treatment, when the cold tolerance started to build up, and remained high for 7 days thereafter. In contrast, the seedlings’ exposure to cadmium had no effect on the WCS120 transcript level, which remained practically unchanged both in the initial period and after long-term (1–7 days) impact. Our results indicate a dependence of WCS120 dehydrin gene expression on low temperature impact, and suggest the induced expression of this gene, as well as its product, WCS120 protein, can be used as a molecular marker of wheat cold tolerance.