Identification and Evaluation of TaOSCAs in Response to Calcium Stress in Wheat

Abstract

Wheat is having ascendancy order in grains production around the world. As highly dominating and most widely grown cereal in the world. It is also an important source of carbohydrates and essential amino acids. Calcium being an essential macromolecule for the plants, is very important for different biological mechanisms as involved in the cellular membranes formation, acting as counter-cation for organic and inorganic anions, act as obligate intracellular messenger for the coordination of environmental changes and important role in signaling of developmental process. In present research work, BLAST searches were conducted in different databases for the retrieval of OSCAs gene family of selected wheat variety. Identification of OSCAs was done and phylogenetic analysis were conducted in economically important members of Poaceae, Brassicaceae and Malvaceae family. Plants form selected wheat variety were grown under different treatments (Calcium deficiency, normal and toxicity) by using hydroponic system to determine the effects of calcium deficiency and toxicity on plant phenotype. Furthermore, the plants (individually shoots & roots) were used to check the expression level of OSCAs. Insilco studies revealed, there were 10 OSCAs (TaOSCA.1, TaOSCA.2, TaOSCA.3, TaOSCA.4, TaOSCA.5, TaOSCA.6, TaOSCA.7, TaOSCA.8, TaOSCA.9, TaOSCA.10) exist in Triticum aestivum. Phylogenetic analysis revealed high evolutionary relatedness among OSCAs in different plant family members. Phenotypical analysis was resulted chlorosis in leaves & low growth in plants those were facing calcium deficiency (0mM Ca). Similarly, growth was inhibited in plants those were facing toxicity (8mM Ca). Expression analysis of all TaOSCAs was resulted, during calcium stress conditions TaOSCAs were regulated. 7 (TaOSCA.1, TaOSCA.2, TaOSCA.4, TaOSCA.5, TaOSCA.7, TaOSCA.9, TaOSCA.10) out of 10 have shown regulation indicating the presence of these protein transporters across cells of roots and shoots in wheat. Expression analysis further revealed the presence of these proteins may xiv working as channels or carrier for the transport of calcium. OSCAs work as mechanoreceptors, identification of TaOSCAs can be further used for the development of improved wheat variety.