احمد آقایی

Drought stress is one of the most significant yield-reducing factors in crop production. In durum wheat (Triticum turgidum var. durum), drought is a main abiotic stress that causes notable yield loss. The aim of this study was to evaluate the effects of polyethylene glycol (PEG)-induced drought stress on total soluble protein content and changes in antioxidant enzymes catalase (CAT) and guaiacol peroxidase (GPX) of roots and shoots samples of two contrasting durum wheat genotypes under in vitro culture condition. After surface sterilization, seeds were germinated in flasks containing Murashige and Skoog (MS) basal medium, and the plants were grown in a controlled growth chamber at 25±1 ºC with a 16-h light and 8-h dark photoperiod. On day 14 of germination, drought stress treatments were initiated by applying MS medium containing PEG-6000 at 0 (control), 2.5, 5, and 10% for 0ne week. The experiment was organized in a completely randomized design (CRD) with four replications, and total soluble protein concentration and CAT and GPX activities in shoots and roots of samples were determined. Results showed that an increased concentration of PEG in the medium caused a decrease in the total soluble protein contents particularly in sensitive genotype. However, catalase activity was increased especially in tolerant genotype.