Shahid Bahonar University of Kerman and Iranian Biotechnology Society Agricultural Biotechnology Journal 2228-6705 16 4 2024 12 21 Effect of drought stress on different classes of chitinase genes expression in potato (Solanum tuberosum. L.) leaves Effect of drought stress on different classes of chitinase genes expression in potato (Solanum tuberosum. L.) leaves 33 48 4662 10.22103/jab.2024.22516.1525 FA Maryam Faramarzi Jafar Beiglou Ph.D. Student, Department of Plant Production and Genetic Engineering, Faculty of Agriculture, Lorestan University, Khorramabad, Iran. Farhad Nazarian-Firouzabadi Professor, Department of Plant Production and Genetic Engineering, Faculty of Agriculture, Lorestan University, Khorramabad, Iran. 0000-0002-8291-3887 Seyed Sajad Sohrabi Assistant Professor, Department of Plant Production and Genetic Engineering, Faculty of Agriculture, Lorestan University, Khorramabad, Iran. Ali Moghadam Assistant Professor, Institute of biotechnology, Shiraz University, Iran. Journal Article 2023 11 15 Objective<br />Potato (Solanum tuberosum. L.) belongs to the Solanaceae family. It is the third important crop plant as human food source after wheat and rice. Several biotic and abiotic stresses affect potato production and reduce its potential yield. In the drought stress and dehydration, the expression level of many genes changes and the accumulation of stress-related proteins is affected. Chitinases are proteins that show a basic level of expression in normal conditions, but their expression increases dramatically in disease conditions and some abiotic stresses. The existence of great diversity in plant chitinases and its induction by a wide range of biotic and abiotic factors indicates their important role in the functions related to defense and stress. According to the Economic importance and Limiting effects of drought stress for plant growght in this research, the effect of drought stress on the expression level of different classes of chitinase gene was investigated. <br />Material and methods<br />In this research, the members of chitinase gene family was identified in potato genome by bioinformatics and computational methods. Then, one gene was selected from each class of chitinase gene based on RNA-Seq data analysis in drought stress, and their expression level was evaluated following a water deficit treatment (50% field capacity) by Real-time PCR analysis. The expression level of genes was measured using the Livak and Schmittgen method using the 2-ΔΔct formula.<br />Results<br />Under drought stress conditions, the majority of chitinase gene classes exhibited distinct expression patterns. Notably, among the four classes of identified chitinase genes in potato, class I exhibited up-regulation, whereas class V displayed a down-regulated trend.<br />Conclusion<br />In conclusion, our findings suggest a significant role for chitinases in potato's response to drought stress. The outcomes of this study offer valuable insights for screening potato cultivars/genotypes for drought tolerance and provide a foundation for molecular genetic strategies aimed at engineering drought-resistant potatoes. Objective<br />Potato (Solanum tuberosum. L.) belongs to the Solanaceae family. It is the third important crop plant as human food source after wheat and rice. Several biotic and abiotic stresses affect potato production and reduce its potential yield. In the drought stress and dehydration, the expression level of many genes changes and the accumulation of stress-related proteins is affected. Chitinases are proteins that show a basic level of expression in normal conditions, but their expression increases dramatically in disease conditions and some abiotic stresses. The existence of great diversity in plant chitinases and its induction by a wide range of biotic and abiotic factors indicates their important role in the functions related to defense and stress. According to the Economic importance and Limiting effects of drought stress for plant growght in this research, the effect of drought stress on the expression level of different classes of chitinase gene was investigated. <br />Material and methods<br />In this research, the members of chitinase gene family was identified in potato genome by bioinformatics and computational methods. Then, one gene was selected from each class of chitinase gene based on RNA-Seq data analysis in drought stress, and their expression level was evaluated following a water deficit treatment (50% field capacity) by Real-time PCR analysis. The expression level of genes was measured using the Livak and Schmittgen method using the 2-ΔΔct formula.<br />Results<br />Under drought stress conditions, the majority of chitinase gene classes exhibited distinct expression patterns. Notably, among the four classes of identified chitinase genes in potato, class I exhibited up-regulation, whereas class V displayed a down-regulated trend.<br />Conclusion<br />In conclusion, our findings suggest a significant role for chitinases in potato's response to drought stress. The outcomes of this study offer valuable insights for screening potato cultivars/genotypes for drought tolerance and provide a foundation for molecular genetic strategies aimed at engineering drought-resistant potatoes. https://jab.uk.ac.ir/article_4662_614a87cfbb0686117915399f467c2f04.pdf