Abiotic stress-responsive expression of wali1 and wali5 genes from wheat.

Two cDNA clones, encoding Aluminum-responsive wali1 and wali5, were identified in dehydration stress-specific cDNA library from wheat. Their sequence variations and structural dissimilarities indicated them to be non-homologous genes. Expression of both genes was induced by various abiotic stresses as well as in response to plant hormones and oxidative molecules. Further, they were expressed differentially in shoot and root tissues of wheat seedlings, their transcripts being specifically abundant in roots. Previously characterized as being only Aluminum treatment induced, this report proposes them as novel candidates for stress-responsive studies.