Gene expression and enzyme activity of phenylalanine-ammonia-lyase in Basil (Ocimum basilicum) under salt stress

Phenylalanine ammonia-lyase (PAL) is the key enzyme of the phenylpropanoid pathway, a route that involves numerous branches that lead to the production of a wide range of metabolites that can play an important role in the response to a different kind of environmental stress. In the present work, the gene expression levels and enzyme activity of phenylalanine-ammonia-lyase (PAL) were investigated in plants of the Ocimum basilicum under control and salt stress conditions. This study was carried out as a factorial experiment based on a completely randomized design with three replications. The treatments were salinity at five concentrations including 0, 25, 50, 75 and 100 mM NaCl. Semi-quantitative RT- PCR was used for the analysis of PAL expression level. The PAL mRNA level increased in response to salinity and was different significantly (P < 0.05) among treatments. Salinity effects on the PAL activity were significantly (P < 0.05) different from those of controls in all treatments. These findings confirm that PAL protein is a marker of salt stress conditions in this species and it can be a good candidate for the technology of genetic engineering of Ocimum basilicum towards the salt tolerant.

کلیدواژه ها:

Basil ، Gene expression ، Phenylalanine ammonia-lyase ، Salt stress