Identification of salt stress-induced transcripts in barley leaves by differential display reverse transcriptase polymerase chain reaction (DDRT-PCR)

Plant response to high salinity was assessed using DDRT-PCR on salt stressed and control barley plants (accession Kebelli II). The expression profiles showed approximately 2000 bands, out of these, 134 were up-regulated and 89 were repressed by salt stress. 13 fragments up regulated under saline stress were then reamplified, cloned and sequenced. Sequence analysis revealed that some of them present homologies with proteins in other species that are involved in cell wall structure and turnover such as serine carboxypeptidase II. A number of identified clones encoded putative stress response proteins such as NADP-dependant glyceraldehyde dehydrogenase and wound-induced protein. In addition, some of them encode gene related to resistance to anion flow-related proteins. The responses of these genes to salinity were confirmed using Northern bbt or reverse Northern hybridization experiments.