Abstract:
Arachis hypogea (Peanuts) is the most important oilseed and economical legume crops in
Pakistan. It is a source of vitamins, minerals, and protein. Peanuts face multifaceted
environmental challenges, including biotic and abiotic stresses, profoundly impacting their
growth, development, and yield potential. Photoperiod stress is a significant abiotic stress factor
constraining plant yield and production. This study focuses on the impact of photoperiod stress
on morpho-physiological features and the expression of photoperiod responsive genes in two
peanut varieties. Insilco analysis was performed to examine the photoperiod responsive genes,
phytochrome interacting factors and NAC family, including homology modeling, subcellular
localization, cis-regulatory elements, chromosomal mapping, and protein-protein interactions.
Photoperiod stress induction take place in two peanut varieties- BARD-479 and NARC-2019.
NARC-2019 variety showed better growth under photoperiod stress as compared to BARD-479.
Scanning electron microscopy results showed stomatal closure under dark stress. In expression
analysis PIF3, PIF4 and NAC72 showed significant upregulation under 16-hours dark stress,
whereas PIF7 showed significant upregulation under 24-hour light stress in both peanut varieties.
To further use of this approach, future research should focus on photoperiod stress responsive
mechanisms in more detail and identifying new genes and pathways that are involved in the
response that will benefits in developing photoperiod stress-tolerance varieties.
