Abstract:In order to explore the function of LEC1 gene to abiotic stress response in wheat, we cloned a TaLEC1 gene from wheat using RTPCR combined with RACE technology. The expression patterns of TaLEC1 from different tissues of wheat and under different stress treatments were analyzed by realtime fluorescence quantitative PCR (qRTPCR). These would be provided a foundation for the drought, high temperature and high salt response mechanism study of LEC1 gene in wheat. The results showed that: (1) the fulllength cDNA sequence of TaLEC1 was successfully cloned. The length of cDNA sequence of TaLEC1 is 1 074 bp, contains a 741 bp open reading frame (ORF), with 23 bp in the 5′ UTR and 310 bp in the 3′ UTR. TaLEC1 was predicted to encode a 246 amino acid protein with typical CBFD_NFYB domain. (2) Real time quantitative PCR (qRTPCR) analysis showed that there were significant differences in the expression levels of TaLEC1 among different tissues and the highest expression was found in 10 d leaves. (3) TaLEC1 could be upregulated by plant hormone ABA and belongs to ABAdependent expression regulation pathway. (4) During PEG simulated drought stress, TaLEC1 was induced to upregulate expression within 0.5~1 h of stress treatment. The expression of TaLEC1 showed a stable upregulation trend during the whole 42 ℃ stress process and the expression level was sharply upregulated under 12 h and 48 h of stress treatments, to 52.8 and 34.5 times of that of the control, respectively. TaLEC1 was rapidly upregulated within 0.5 h of high salt stress treatments. These research have shown that TaLEC1 is involved in ABAdependent stress response in wheat, suggesting that it may play an important dehydration protection function in wheat tolerance to high temperature and osmotic stress.