Differential expression of heat shock protein genes in chickpea (Cicer arietinum L.) in response to drought

Aim. To identify genes encoding heat shock proteins that are potentially suitable as molecular markers for the selection of drought-tolerant chickpea (Cicer arietinum L.). Methods. Twelve transcriptomes of two chickpea genotypes – Desi PI598080 (drought-sensitive) and Kabuli Flip07 318C (drought-tolerant) – under control and stress (drought simulation) conditions were analyzed. Nucleotide sequence alignment was performed using Bowtie2 software. A two-factor ANOVA was used to assess the effects of the factors «genotype» and «conditions», as well as their possible interaction, on HSP gene expression levels. Results. The differential expression of heat shock protein (HSP) genes in chickpea under different watering regimes was studied. Some heat shock protein genes (in particular, 17.4 kDa class III HSP, 22.7 kDa class IV HSP, HSP2) showed statistically significant changes in expression. The most promising was the 17.4 kDa class III HSP (LOC101511085), which demonstrated dependence on both genotype and conditions, as well as a trend toward a «genotype × conditions» interaction. Other HSP genes (18.2 kDa class I HSP, 18.5 kDa class I HSP, etc.) mainly responded to the «conditions» factor without showing significant differences between genotypes. Conclusions. It was found that certain HSP genes can serve as markers of chickpea drought tolerance, as their expression depends on genotype. At the same time, the response of most heat shock protein genes is primarily determined by the presence of stress. These findings provide a basis for breeding programs aimed at developing high-yielding and stress-tolerant chickpea varieties capable of producing stable yields under limited watering conditions.