ESTs analysis of the sugar beet (Beta vulgaris L.) responsive transcripts under salt stress

 Differential Display Reverse Transcriptase (DDRT-PCR) technique was used to analyze 
differentially expressed genes in sugar beet (Beta vulgaris L.) under salt stress. Three weeks old 
seedlings were exposed to salt stress with 100mM and 300mM NaCl, and untreated seedlings were 
used as control. Thirty-three differentially expressed fragments were identified and characterized. 
The fragments were classified according to their time of expression after the drought stress. The 
significance of the function of the identified differentially expressed genes was discussed in relation 
to their possible roles as stress genes. Seven fragments showed no significant homology with any 
database sequences in the GenBank. Results of the database sequence alignment identified four 
fragments (Bv-1=506bp, Bv19=521bp, Bv26=899bp, and Bv-31=550bp) revealing significant 
homology with Expressed Sequence Tags(ESTs) from salt stressed sugar beet; twenty-one 
fragments showed significant sequence homology with drought and cold stress- responsive genes, 
as well as acetyl-CoA carboxylase and glycosyltransferases. These results implicate that several 
pathways are involved in the plant's response to drought stress which still needs to be elucidated 
further.