Effect of drought on aquaporin expression in grafted and ungrafted grapevine cultivars

Drought stress severely affects growth, development and productivity in most agricultural crops. Since ancient times, rootstocks have been used to enable crop cultivation unsuitable soil conditions. In the present study, three factors were evaluated: 1) cultivar: Vitis vinifera L. cv. ‘Horozkarası’ (drought-tolerant) ‘Kabarcık’ (drought-sensitive) used; 2) rootstock: each cultivar was self-rooted grafted onto ‘Rupestris du Lot’ rootstock; 3) drought stress: half of cultivar/rootstock combination underwent other irrigated at field capacity for seven days. order estimate responses cultivars, relative water content, proline content aquaporin isoform expression levels (VvPIP2;1, VvPIP2;2, VvTIP1;1, VvTIP2;1) quantified. The results revealed that caused more reduction (RWC) than (drought-tolerant). Proline increased both cultivars response but a relatively greater extent cultivar. Considering genes, VvPIP2;1, VvTIP2;1 downregulated whilst VvTIP1;1 upregulated leaf. Both showed similar trends terms their stress. Grafting significantly exposed rootstock conferred better protection