Mechanical Wounding Induces Catalase Gene (VsCat) in Leaves of Common Vetch

Abstract

Background: In plants, wounding can result from mechanical injuries or from biotic factors induced by herbivores infestation and pathogen infection. Wounding enhances the production of reactive oxygen species (ROS). Enzymatic and nonenzymatic defense systems have been reported in plants to immediately combat increased levels of ROS. Plant catalases are encoded by a multigene family and are the major scavenging enzymes catalyzing the dismutation of toxic hydrogen peroxide to water and dioxygen. Methods: In the preasent work, a quantitative real-time PCR was used to quantify the expression level of a catalase gene from common vetch (Vicia sativa; VsCat) in response to mechanical wounding. Result: The results of the time course study showed that the transcript levels of VsCat were significantly increased in wounded leaves at all-time points examined with a peak expression of 7.6 folds at 2 h post wounding. The increased expression of VsCat might represent a direct defense against elevated H2O2 generated during wounding.