Differential Response of Cysteine-deficient Lentil (<i>Lens culinaris</i> Medik.) Mutants Impaired in Foliar O-acetylserine(thiol)-lyase Expression

Abstract

Lentil is a cool-season pulse crop, rich in protein but deficient in two sulphur-containing amino acids cysteine and methionine. Due to low genetic variability in existing germplasm, induced mutagenic technique has been adopted in lentil, and two mutant lines exhibiting poor growth and low dry weight were isolated in M2-mutagenized (0.10% and 0.15% EMS, 6 h) population of variety L 414. Further analysis revealed that plants from both mutant lines were highly deficient in seed cysteine (Cys) content, and thus, were tentatively designated as cysLc1 and cysLc2 mutants. Mutant plants were advanced to M3 generation. Biochemical analysis through cysteine synthesizing pathway in leaves revealed that activity of serine acetyl transferase (SAT) was normal in both the mutant progenies but both were highly deficient in foliar O-acetylserine(thiol)-lyase (OAS-TL) activity. Transcriptomic analysis by qRT-PCR confirmed normal expression of SAT in both mutants but revealed differential expressions of two OAS-TL isoforms; OAS-TL 1 isoform was not detectable in cysLc1 mutant while expression of OAS-TL 2 isoform was totally repressed in leaves of cysLc2 mutant. Genetic studies and test of allelism pointed out that both the mutants were recessive and were complementing with each other to produce normal in F1 and normal along with mutant plants in F2 progeny. The progeny plants exhibiting normal phenotype showed normal mRNA transcripts of both OAS-TL isoforms. Being stable and self-fertile, the mutants will give vital clues in genetic basis of thiol-metabolic network of lentil crops.