Real-time Quantitative PCR Monitoring of Antioxidant Enzyme Gene Expression in Wheat Radicles Treated With Cu 2 + and Cd 2 +

Real-time quantitative PCR was used to study the differential expression of three antioxidant enzyme genes copper/zinc-superoxide dismutase (Cu/Zn-SOD)、peroxidase (POD) and Glutathione S-transferase (GST) – in winter wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) radicles following treatment with two heavy metals (Cu and Cd). The effects of varying the concentration of the heavy metals and the duration of exposure were investigated. It was found that Cd stress has a more profound effect than Cu on antioxidant gene expression for all tested mass concentrations and that heavy metal exposure induces GST expression more strongly than that of POD or Cu/Zn-SOD, with POD being expressed more strongly than Cu/Zn-SOD. [Lina Jiang, Daijing Zhang, Yun Shao, Shufang Yang, Tingting Li, Zhijuan Zhang, Chunxi Li. Real-time Quantitative PCR Monitoring of Antioxidant Enzyme Gene Expression in Wheat Radicles Treated With Cu and Cd. Life Sci J 2012;9(4):1679-1685] (ISSN:1097-8135). http://www.lifesciencesite.com. 258