Senescence in the nongreening region of the rice (Oryza sativa) coleoptile

Summary The coleoptile of rice (Oryza sativa L. cv. Nippon-bare) emerges from the imbibed seed on day 2 after sowing and ceases its growth on day 3. In cross section, the cells near the outer epidermis turn into green between days 2 and 3, while those near the inner epidermis remain colorless. In this study, the complete process of the development in the nongreening cells in the coleoptile was examined by fluorescence and electron microscopy. Embryonic morphology on day 0 was rapidly converted into the differentiated greening or nongreening cells between days 1 and 2. Senescence in the inner, nongreening region first appeared on day 4 in the third or fourth cell layer from the inner epidermis and then spread towards both the inner and the outer epidermis, and the inner cells collapsed completely before the outer cells senesced. Cells adjacent to the inner epidermis, which senesced slowly, followed a sequence of events during development: (1) degradation of plastid DNA; (2) dispersal of nuclear chromatin, differentiation of plastids into amyloplasts, degradation of mitochondrial DNA; (3) degradation of the starch in amyloplasts; (4) disorganization of plastids; (5) condensation of the nucleus, shrinkage of mitochondria; (6) complete loss of cellular components, distortion of cell walls. In the interior cells, the early events including degeneration of plastid DNA and mitochondrial DNA occurred in parallel with those in the cells adjacent to the inner epidermis, yet rapid collapse of all the cellular components proceeded between days 3 and 5, and nuclear condensation could not be detected.Abbreviations cpDNA chloroplast DNA - DAPI 4,6-diamidino-2-phenylindole - DiOC₇ 3,3-dihexyloxacarbocyanine - IE inner epidermis - mtDNA mitochondrial DNA - mt-nucleoid mitochondrial nucleoid - OE outer epidermis - ptDNA plastid DNA - pt-nucleoid plastid nucleoid     

Mapping QTLs for seedling characteristics under different water supply conditions in rice (Oryza sativa)

A greater understanding of the genetics of responses to water deficit/drought may be helpful in improving water-deficit resistance in the early stages of growth in rice. A recombinant inbred population derived from a cross between Zhenshan 97 and Minghui 63 was grown in hydroponic culture to characterize the responses of seedlings to water deficit imposed by PEG 6000 and to identify quantitative trait loci (QTLs) for seedling characteristics under both well-watered and water-deficit conditions. Generally, the two parents showed significant differences in plant height (PH), maximum root length (MRL), shoot fresh weight (SFW), root fresh weight (RFW), number of roots and root:shoot ratio based on fresh weight under both well-watered and water-deficit conditions. For two parents, PH and SFW were significantly inhibited under water deficit. However, the other four traits had larger values under water deficit. Among 26 and 34 QTLs detected for the six traits studied under the well-watered and water-deficit conditions, respectively, a total of 14 QTLs for SFW, PH, RFW and MRL (23% of total QTLs detected) were detected in similar or tight linkage regions in both conditions. Among 11 intervals on 7 chromosomes identified to harbor multiple QTLs, 8 intervals were found to affect related traits under the two water supply conditions and 3 intervals were observed to be water supply-specific regions and had effects only under well-watered conditions, suggesting that water supply-specific regions or QTLs may be closely associated with the responses of lines to water deficit in the study. Several regions for the traits studied were also found to affect the root-related traits in previous studies and might be used in marker-assisted selection for drought-resistant rice in breeding programs.     

Effect of different levels of gypsum application on soil characteristics and growth and yield of rice (Oryza sativa L.)

Summary A field experiment was conducted to compare the efficacy of application of different fractions of gypsum requirement (0, 20, 40, 60, 80 and 100%) for reclaiming alkali lands for rice cultivation. The experiment was initiated in the year 1971 and the effect of treatments was observed for three consecutive years (upto 1973) in terms of rice growth and yield and also the chemical characteristics of the soil. Economics of rice production was also worked out for different treatments.Results obtained revealed that a fairly good crop of rice with a small profit margin could be raised in the first year itself, by applying 20% of the gypsum requirement. Higher levels of gypsum proved economical only during subsequent years. Application of gypsum beyond 80% of the requirement was of no avail. Soil pH declined in all the treatments with its magnitude dilating with increased gypsum application. Electrical conductivity was also brought down with rice cultivation, irrespective of the quantum of gypsum.     

Seedling vigour and the early growth of transplanted rice (Oryza sativa)

Previous studies suggest that the positive response of transplanted rice (Oryza sativa L.) to nursery fertiliser application was due to increased seedling vigour or possibly to increased nutrient content. This paper presents results of two glasshouse experiments designed to test the hypothesis that seedling vigour was responsible for the response of transplanted seedlings to nursery treatments. The aim of the present study was to explore the concept of seedling vigour of transplanted rice and to determine what plant attributes conferred vigour on the seedlings. Seedling vigour treatments were established by subjecting seedlings to short-term submergence (0, 1 and 2 days/week) in one experiment and to leaf clipping or root pruning and water stress in another to determine their effect on plant growth after transplanting. Submerging seedlings increased plant height but depressed shoot and root dry matter and root:shoot ratio of the seedling at 28 days after sowing. After transplanting these seedlings, prior submergence depressed shoot dry matter at 40 days. Nursery nutrient application increased plant height, increased root and shoot dry matter, but generally decreased root:shoot ratio. Pruning up to 60% of the roots at transplanting decreased shoot and root dry matter, P concentration in leaves at panicle initiation (PI) and straw dry matter and grain yield at maturity. By contrast, pruning 30% of leaves depressed shoot and root dry matter by 30% at PI, and root dry matter and straw and grain yield by 20% at maturity. The combined effects of leaf clipping and root pruning on shoot, root and straw dry matter were largely additive. It is concluded that the response of rice yield to nursery treatments is largely due to increased seedling vigour and can be effected by a range of nutritional as well as non-nutritional treatments of seedlings that increase seedling dry matter, nutrient content, and nutrient concentration. Impairment of leaf growth and to a lesser extent root growth in the nursery depressed seedling vigour after transplanting. However, rather than increasing stress tolerance, seedling vigour was more beneficial when post transplant growth was not limited by nutrient or water stresses.     

Population structure of rice (Oryza sativa) landraces under farmer management

Greater insight into the dynamics of genetic resources of crop plants is needed in order to pinpoint detrimental evolutionary patterns and draw up conservation priorities. The present study demonstrated farmer management of crop population structure and temporal evolution of rice genetic diversity in traditional production systems. The 16 STMS primers analysed for 11 rice landrace populations indicated enough polymorphism to fully differentiate the inter- and intrapopulation diversity. A total number of 98 alleles were recorded, of which 91 were common and seven were rare. The mean number of alleles per locus was 6.13 and for different groups of rice landrace populations, namely five populations of upland common landrace Jaulia, three populations of irrigated common landrace Thapachini and one population each of three distinct rare landraces were 4.37, 2.75 and 4.37, respectively. The study also compared genebank-conserved ( ex situ ) populations and on-farm-managed ( in situ ) landrace populations of same named landraces Jaulia and Thapachini, and revealed greater number of alleles per locus for on-farm-managed populations as compared to the populations under static management. A substantial number of alleles specific to populations under dynamic management could also be recorded. Further, the rare landrace populations included in the present study were more diverse than the common landrace populations. The rare landraces were distinct genetic entities largely representing locally common alleles. Investigating the population genetic structure is therefore helpful in monitoring change in diversity over time and space, and also for devising a rational plan for management of farmer landraces on-farm.     

The mechanism of phloem loading in rice (Oryza sativa)

Carbohydrates, mainly sucrose, that are synthesized in source organs are transported to sink organs to support growth and development. Phloem loading of sucrose is a crucial step that drives long-distance transport by elevating hydrostatic pressure in the phloem. Three phloem loading strategies have been identified, two active mechanisms, apoplastic loading via sucrose transporters and symplastic polymer trapping, and one passive mechanism. The first two active loading mechanisms require metabolic energy, carbohydrate is loaded into the phloem against a concentration gradient. The passive process, diffusion, involves equilibration of sucrose and other metabolites between cells through plasmodesmata. Many higher plant species including Arabidopsis utilize the active loading mechanisms to increase carbohydrate in the phloem to higher concentrations than that in mesophyll cells. In contrast, recent data revealed that a large number of plants, especially woody species, load sucrose passively by maintaining a high concentration in mesophyll cells. However, it still remains to be determined how the worldwide important cereal crop, rice, loads sucrose into the phloem in source organs. Based on the literature and our results, we propose a potential strategy of phloem loading in rice. Elucidation of the phloem loading mechanism should improve our understanding of rice development and facilitate its manipulation towards the increase of crop productivity.     

Oxygen dynamics in submerged rice (Oryza sativa)

Complete submergence of plants prevents direct O(2) and CO(2) exchange with air. Underwater photosynthesis can result in marked diurnal changes in O(2) supply to submerged plants. Dynamics in pO(2) had not been measured directly for submerged rice (Oryza sativa), but in an earlier study, radial O(2) loss from roots showed an initial peak following shoot illumination. O(2) dynamics in shoots and roots of submerged rice were monitored during light and dark periods, using O(2) microelectrodes. Tissue sugar concentrations were also measured. On illumination of shoots of submerged rice, pO(2) increased rapidly and then declined slightly to a new quasi-steady state. An initial peak was evident first in the shoots and then in the roots, and was still observed when 20 mol m(-3) glucose was added to the medium to ensure substrate supply in roots. At the new quasi-steady state following illumination, sheath pO(2) was one order of magnitude higher than in darkness, enhancing also pO(2) in roots. The initial peak in pO(2) following illumination of submerged rice was likely to result from high initial rates of net photosynthesis, fuelled by CO(2) accumulated during the dark period. Nevertheless, since sugars decline with time in submerged rice, substrate limitation of respiration could also contribute to morning peaks in pO(2) after longer periods of submergence.     

UV-B辐射增强对水稻生长发育及其产量形成的影响

在盆载条件下,研究UV-B辐射（280-320nm）增强对3个不同类型水稻品种（组合）的生长发育及其产量构成的影响。结果表明,UV-B辐射增强明显抑制水稻生长,使株高变矮、分蘖数减少、叶面积和干物质量下降,但其抑制程度依品种、水稻所处的生长阶段的不同而不同;株高在苗期下降幅度最大,为9.4%-12.2%,干物质量在分蘖期下降幅度最大,地下部和地上部干物质量分别下降45.3%-59.8%、54.9%-59.0%,增强的UV-B辐射使水稻主茎不同叶位的出叶时间延迟,生育期延长,汕优63、南川、IR65600-85的抽穗时间分别比对照延迟2d、3d和7d,成熟期分别推迟3d、4d和9d,UV-B辐射增强明显降低水稻叶片的叶绿素和类胡萝卜素含量,叶片叶绿素a荧光诱导动力学参数Fv、Fv/Fm、Fv/Fo下降,与对照相比,汕优6.3、南川、IR65600-85叶片的净光合速率分别下降了11.9%、12.8%、29.7%,UV-B辐射增强使水稻每株有效穗、每穗总粒数、结实率、千粒重下降,最终导致水稻籽粒产量下降25.2%-31.1%。     

Natural and human‐mediated selection in a landrace of Thai rice (Oryza sativa)

Landrace rice in Thailand consists of managed populations grown under traditional and long‐standing agricultural practices. These populations evolve both in response to environmental conditions within the local agro‐ecosystem and in response to human activities. Single landraces are grown across varying environments and recently have experienced temporal changes in local environments due to climate change. Here we assess the interplay between natural selection in a changing climate and human‐mediated selection on the population genetic structure of Muey Nawng, a local landrace of Thai rice. Genetic diversity and population structure of landrace rice were assessed by a STRUCTURE analysis of 20 microsatellite loci. The first exon–intron junction of the waxy gene was sequenced to determine genotypes for glutinous or non‐glutinous grain starch. Muey Nawng rice is genetically variable and is structured based on starch grain types and the level of resistance to gall midge pest. A strong positive correlation was found between genetic diversity and the percentage of gall midge infestation. Variation in the waxy locus is correlated with starch quality; selection for non‐glutinous rice appears to involve additional genes. The dynamics of genetic diversity within Muey Nawng rice depends on three factors: (a) a genetic bottleneck caused by strong selection associated with gall midge infestation, (b) selection by local farmers for starch quality and (c) variation introduced by farmer practices for cultivation and seed exchange. These results, when taken in total, document the ability of landrace rice to quickly evolve in response to both natural and human‐mediated selection.     

开放式空气CO2浓度增高对水稻产量形成的影响

在大田栽培条件下 ,研究开放式空气CO2 浓度增加 (FACE) 2 0 0 μmol·mol-1的处理对水稻产量及产量构成因素的影响 .结果表明 ,FACE处理对水稻株高和主茎叶片数没有明显影响 ,但使水稻生育进程加快 ,全生育期显著缩短 ,增加施N量可减缓FACE处理对水稻全生育期缩短的程度 ;FACE处理能显著增加分蘖数 ,极显著增加穗数 ,提高结实率 ,但使每穗颖花数显著减少 ;FACE处理能显著提高水稻产量 ,在高N条件下增产幅度更大 ;提高FACE处理的每穗颖花数和单位面积颖花数能极显著提高水稻产量 ,增加施N量是提高FACE处理每穗颖花数和单位面积颖花数的重要措施 .     

Root attributes affecting water uptake of rice (Oryza sativa) under drought

Lowland rice roots have a unique physiological response to drought because of their adaptation to flooded soil. Rice root attributes that facilitate growth under flooded conditions may affect rice response to drought, but the relative roles of root structural and functional characteristics for water uptake under drought in rice are not known. Morphological, anatomical, biochemical, and molecular attributes of soil-grown rice roots were measured to investigate the genotypic variability and genotype×environment interactions of water uptake under variable soil water regimes. Drought-resistant genotypes had the lowest night-time bleeding rates of sap from the root system in the field. Diurnal fluctuation predominated as the strongest source of variation for bleeding rates in the field and root hydraulic conductivity (Lp (r)) in the greenhouse, and was related to expression trends of various PIP and TIP aquaporins. Root anatomy was generally more responsive to drought treatments in drought-resistant genotypes. Suberization and compaction of sclerenchyma layer cells decreased under drought, whereas suberization of the endodermis increased, suggesting differential roles of these two cell layers for the retention of oxygen under flooded conditions (sclerenchyma layer) and retention of water under drought (endodermis). The results of this study point to the genetic variability in responsiveness to drought of rice roots in terms of morphology, anatomy, and function.     

杂草稻落粒粳的抗逆境特性研究

杂草稻落粒粳（Oryza sativa）发生在我国辽宁丹东.落粒粳植株明显高于当地大多数栽培品种,颖果呈中长型,成熟后容易掉粒;果壳稻草色或黄间黑灰色,小穗无芒或有芒,芒长4～12 cm;颖果千粒重235 g,种皮桔红色.落粒粳种子在13～38 ℃条件下的发芽率均大于88%,水层2.5～10 cm处理,落粒粳植株干重减少50%～69%.在幼苗期,落粒粳对无芒稗的各项影响因子均明显大于化感潜力品种I-kung-pao,表明落粒粳无化感作用.落粒粳可以忍耐0.5%的盐碱.     

太湖流域粳稻地方品种遗传多样性研究

太湖流域稻作历史悠久,是我国粳稻高产地区之一。但育成品种的遗传基础日趋狭窄,将会给农业生产带来潜在风险。为了有效利用地方水稻资源以扩大改良品种的遗传基础,作者通过调查19个农艺性状,对823个太湖流域粳稻地方品种的遗传多样性进行了研究。结果表明:15个数量性状的变异系数(CV)范围在4.6%(结实率)和33.7%(单株产量)之间。颖壳色、稃尖色、芒型和粒型4个质量性状分别有10、6、5、4种表现型。19个农艺性状的多样性指数(H′)变化范围在0.757(粒型)和1.930(每穗实粒数)之间,平均为1.540。9月10日以后抽穗的品种比9月10日及其以前抽穗的品种具有更丰富的表型变异。主成分分析表明,株高、单株有效穗、每穗总粒数、每穗实粒数、着粒密度、千粒重、单株产量和穗颈长等8个性状是解释太湖流域粳稻地方品种多样性的重要性状。     

Protein profile of rice (Oryza sativa) seeds

Seeds are the most important plant storage organ and play a central role in the life cycle of plants. Since little is known about the protein composition of rice (Oryza sativa) seeds, in this work we used proteomic methods to obtain a reference map of rice seed proteins and identify important molecules. Overall, 480 reproducible protein spots were detected by two-dimensional electrophoresis on pH 4–7 gels and 302 proteins were identified by MALDI-TOF MS and database searches. Together, these proteins represented 252 gene products and were classified into 12 functional categories, most of which were involved in metabolic pathways. Database searches combined with hydropathy plots and gene ontology analysis showed that most rice seed proteins were hydrophilic and were related to binding, catalytic, cellular or metabolic processes. These results expand our knowledge of the rice proteome and improve our understanding of the cellular biology of rice seeds.     

Proteome and phosphoproteome differential expression under salinity stress in rice (Oryza sativa) roots

Salinity stress is a major abiotic stress that limits agriculture productivity worldwide. Rice is a model plant of monocotyledons, including cereal crops. Studies have suggested a critical role of protein phosphorylation in salt stress response in plants. However, the phosphoproteome in rice, particularly under salinity stress, has not been well studied. Here, we use Pro-Q Diamond Phosphoprotein Stain to study rice phosphoproteome differential expression under salt stress. Seventeen differentially upregulated and 11 differentially downregulated putative phosphoproteins have been identified. Further analyses indicate that 10 of the 17 upregulated proteins are probably upregulated at post-translational level instead of the protein concentration. Meanwhile, we have identified 31 salt stress differentially regulated proteins using SYPRO Ruby stain. While eight of them are known salt stress response proteins, the majority has not been reported in the literature. Our studies have provided valuable new insight into plant response to salinity stress.