Document Type : Research Paper
Authors
1
Professor, Department of Plant Breeding and Biotechnology, Gorgan University of Agricultural Sciences and Natural Resources, Gorgan, Iran
2
Ph.D. Student Department of Plant Breeding and Biotechnology, Gorgan University of Agricultural Sciences and Natural Resources, Gorgan, Iran
10.22084/ab.2026.30533.1499
Abstract
After cereals, oilseeds are one of the most important food items globally and play a significant role in food security due to their high oil and protein content. Rapeseed is considered one of the most important oilseeds worldwide, with an annual production of about 27 million tons. Increasing plant yield is a primary goal of plant breeding, and increasing genetic diversity through appropriate breeding methods is crucial. One effective method for creating genetic diversity is the use of mutagenesis. In this study, mutagenesis with ethyl methane sulfonate (EMS) was conducted to determine optimal concentrations and investigate biochemical changes and gene expression responses of ascorbic peroxidase (APX), superoxide dismutase (SOD), and catalase (CAT). Rapeseed seeds were treated with four concentrations of EMS, including zero (control), 0.25, 0.50, and 0.75%. After treatment, the seeds were sown in laboratory conditions for a maximum of 24 hours. Seed cultivation took place in a greenhouse, and at the fourth leaf stage, oxidative chemical stress was induced with 1 M silver nitrate. Out of 3000 mutant lines, 50 lines tolerant to each EMS concentration were selected at each concentration (zero (control), 0.25, 0.50, and 0.75%). The experimental design was completely randomized with three replications for the four EMS treatments. Sampling was conducted at the eight-leaf stage. The results indicated significant differences in the measured biochemical traits between treatments with increasing EMS concentration, showing an overall increasing trend. The expression of CAT, APX, and SOD genes increased compared to the control at different EMS levels. The findings suggest that as the EMS concentration increases, the plant's ability to produce oxygen free radicals and their negative effects also increase, prompting a defense response in the plant through increased expression of related genes and enhanced antioxidants.
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