Effect of Methyl Jasmonate on the Expression of Wcs Genes and the Activity of Antioxidant Enzymes at Wheat Cold Adaptation.

We studied the effect of phytohormone methyl jasmonate (MJ) on the expression of WCS (wheat cold specific) family genes and the activity of the key antioxidant enzymes in wheat seedling leaves at a low hardening temperature (4°C). Incubation at 4°C induced an increase in the cold tolerance of seedlings, which was accompanied by an increase in the levels of transcripts of WCS120 and WCS19 genes as well as an increase in the activity of superoxide dismutase (SOD) and peroxidase (PO). The pretreatment of seedlings with MJ significantly increased the mRNA content of WCS120 and WCS19 genes and, at the same time, caused an increase in the activity of SOD and PO, thus contributing to further increase in the cold tolerance of the plants (i.e., enhanced the hardening effect induced by low temperature).