Respiratory activity in rice seedlings germinated under strictly anaerobic conditions

Rice seedlings germinated for up to 96 hr from the imbibition under strictly anaerobic conditions had a certain level of respiratory activity, though less than that of aerobic controls. Nitro-BT positive particles were recognized in coleoptile cells of these seedlings. Respiratory activity in shoots from these seedlings showed a marked rise after exposure to air.     

Incorporation of nitrate nitrogen in rice seedlings transferred to anaerobic conditions

Summary Incorporation of¹⁵NO₃- into amino acids was studied in 3-day-old aerobic rice seedlings (with coleoptile and root) subjected for 24h to anaerobic conditions. The incorporation of¹⁵N into glutamate, glutamine and alanine accounted for 89% and 84% of total incorporation in coleoptile and root, respectively. These findings indicate that, after the primary incorporation of¹⁵N into glutamate and glutamine, the main fate of nitrate nitrogen in rice seedlings subjected to anoxia is alanine.     

Glucose metabolism in anaerobic rice seedlings

More than 80% of the radioactivity from [U-¹⁴C]glucose metabolised by anaerobic rice seedlings or by excised roots or coleoptiles was recovered as ethanol plus CO₂; less than 5% was recovered as water-soluble acidic components. Rates of ¹⁴CO₂ formation from [U-¹⁴C]glucose were similar in roots and coleoptiles in both N₂ and air atmospheres. More ¹⁴CO₂ was formed from [U-¹⁴C]glucose than could be accounted for by ethanolic fermentation, and the specific yields of ¹⁴CO₂ from [6-¹⁴C]glucose and [1-¹⁴C]glucose gave unusually high C-6/C-1 ratios (1.7) in the anaerobic coleoptile. The results may indicate that appreciable pentan synthesis occurs in the anaerobic coleoptile.     

外源ABA对低温胁迫水稻幼苗酯酶同工酶的影响

研究外源ＡＢＡ对低温胁迫的水稻幼苗酯酶同工酶的影响。结果表明,水稻幼苗经７℃－１０℃低温处理６ｄ,长势明显不降,与其相应的酯酶同工酶也发生变化。外施ＡＢＡ提高了水稻幼苗的抗寒能力,同样在酯酶同工酶酶谱上也有相应改变。     

Carotenoid deficiency impairs ABA and IAA biosynthesis and differentially affects drought and cold tolerance in rice

Plant responses to abiotic stresses are coordinated by arrays of growth and developmental programs. Phytohormones such as abscisic acid (ABA) and indole-3-acetic acid (IAA) play critical roles in developmental progresses and environmental responses through complex signalling networks. However, crosstalk between the two hormones at the biosynthesis level remains largely unknown. Here, we report that carotenoid-deficient mutants (phs1, phs2, phs3-1, phs4, and PDS-RNAi transgenic rice) were impaired in the biosynthesis of ABA and IAA. Under drought conditions, phs3-1 and PDS-RNAi transgenic rice showed larger stomata aperture and earlier wilting compared to the wild type at both seedling and panicle developmental stage. Interestingly, these carotenoid-deficient lines showed increased cold resistance, which was likely due to the combined effects of reduced IAA content, alleviated oxidative damage and decreased membrane penetrability. Furthermore, we found that IAA content was significantly declined in rice treated with fluridone (a carotenoid and ABA biosynthesis inhibitor), and expression of auxin synthesis and metabolism-related genes were altered in the fluridone-treated rice similar to that in the carotenoid-deficient mutants. In addition, exogenous IAA, but not ABA, could restore the dwarf phenotype of phs3-1 and PDS-RNAi transgenic rice. These results support a crosstalk between ABA and IAA at the biosynthesis level, and this crosstalk is involved in development and differentially affects drought and cold tolerance in rice.     

Changes in the Levels of IAA and ABA in Cucumber Leaves under Progressive Soil Drought

Changes in the IAA and ABA contents in cucumber (Cucumis sativus L.) leaves during adaptation to drought were studied. An increase in the water-retaining capacity and heat resistance of leaves indicating the onset of adaptation occurred when the leaf growth has been already suppressed. There was a transient increase in the ABA content during the initial stage of adaptation. An increased IAA content was maintained for a longer period, throughout about two-third of the adaptation period. A second increase in the ABA content was observed before the onset of leaf permanent wilting, when IAA content already decreased. Our data suggest that not only ABA, but also IAA are involved in the development of defense responses during the adaptation to drought.     

高产杂交稻两优培九旱育秧苗期抗氧化系统活性的研究

以汕优63为对照,研究了旱育条件下两优培九幼苗的体内抗氧化系统的特性。显示两优培九在旱育条件下其体内三大抗氧化酶SOD、POD和CAT活性都较水育条件下高,而体内超氧阴离子含量和MDA含量和水育秧相比却没有大的差异;旱育条件下秧苗叶片内积累的脯氨酸量显著高于水育秧。这不但能提高水稻苗期抗旱能力,同时也为移栽大田后具有明显的生长优势和抗胁迫能力打下了物质基础。另外,发现秧苗培育时间过长也不利于获得高质量的秧苗,时间以30 d左右为宜。和汕优63相比,相同条件下的两优培九幼苗抗氧化系统活性较高,这也可能是两优培九高产的生理基础之一。     

Growth and energy status of arrowhead tubers,pondweed turions and rice seedlings under anoxic conditions

The responses of two aquatic plants, arrowhead (Sagittaria pygmaea Miq.) and pondweed (Potamogeton distinctus A. Benn), to anoxia were compared with those of rice (Oryza sativa L.). Shoot elongation of arrowhead tubers was enhanced at around 1 kPa O₂, whereas that of pondweed turions was slight in air and reached a maximum in the absence of O₂. Anaerobic enhancement of alcohol dehydrogenase (ADH) activity took place in rice coleoptiles but not in arrowhead and pondweed shoots. Shoots of both arrowhead and pondweed maintained a more stable energy status than did the rice coleoptile under anaerobic conditions. Total adenylate nucleotide contents of arrowhead and pondweed shoots were constant under anaerobic conditions. Adenylate energy charge in both shoots remained at a high and stable level of more than 0·8 for at least 8 d. Three forms of ADH from arrowhead shoots were separated by starch gel electrophoresis, showing that the activity of each ADH form was different under aerobic and anaerobic conditions. The incorporation of ³⁵S-labelled Cys and Met into soluble proteins in arrowhead shoots showed active protein biosynthesis and an involvement of a special set of polypeptides in the anaerobiosis.     

Upland rice and lowland rice exhibited different PIP expression under water deficit and ABA treatment

Aquaporins play a significant role in plant water relations. To further understand the aquaporin function in plants under water stress, the expression of a subgroup of aquaporins, plasma membrane intrinsic proteins （PIPs）, was studied at both the protein and mRNA level in upland rice （Oryza sativa L. cv. Zhonghan 3） and lowland rice （Oryza sativa L. cv. Xiushui 63） when they were water stressed by treatment with 20% polyethylene glycol （PEG）. Plants responded differently to 20% PEG treatment. Leaf water content of upland rice leaves was reduced rapidly. PIP protein level increased markedly in roots of both types, but only in leaves of upland rice after 10 h of PEG treatment. At the mRNA level, OsPIP1,2, OsPIP1,3, OsPIP2;1 and OsPIP2;5 in roots as well as OsPIP1,2 and OsPIP1;3 in leaves were significantly up-regulated in upland rice, whereas the corresponding genes remained unchanged or down-regulated in lowland rice. Meanwhile, we observed a significant increase in the endogenous abscisic acid （ABA） level in upland rice but not in lowland rice under water deficit. Treatment with 60 μM ABA enhanced the expression of OsPIP1;2, OsPIP2;5 and OsPIP2;6 in roots and OsPIP1;2, OsPIP2;4 and OsPIP2;6 in leaves of upland rice. The responsiveness of PIP genes to water stress and ABA were different, implying that the regulation of PIP genes involves both ABA-dependent and ABA-independent signaling oathways during water deficit.     

Comparison of effects of ABA and IAA on phospholipid bilayers

The plant hormones indole-3-acetic acid (IAA) and abscisic acid (ABA) affect the properties of phospholipid bilayers differently. IAA enhances permeability of bilayers composed of phosphatidylcholine to the non-electrolyte erythritol while ABA requires an additional phospholipid in the membrane to produce substantial enhancement. Similar conclusions are obtained by measuring hormone-induced permeability to chloride ions; IAA is effective with single component phosphatidylcholine membranes while ABA requires a second phospholipid. Erythritol permeability is shown to be pH dependent for both hormones. Although IAA is more effective at increasing erythritol permeability at pH 4 than at pH 7, both dissociated and undissociated IAA affect the process. In comparison ABA is almost totally ineffective in the dissociated form (at pH 7). Spin label electron spin resonance measurements demonstrated that neither hormone substantially disrupts acyl chain mobility within the membrane, indicating that the mechanism of permeability enhancement is not a general non-specific pertubation of membrane ordering and fluidity. Both hormones can also effect the stability of small unilamellar (sonicated) vesicles. Phosphatidylcholine vesicles are relatively stable and do not rapidly aggregate with either ABA or IAA. However, when phosphatidylethanolamine is incorporated as a minor component (10 mol%) into phosphatidylcholine vesicles ABA causes rapid aggregation while IAA has no effect. These experiments indicate that the two hormones may exhibit completely different behaviour on membranes without the requirement for specific proteinaceous receptors.     

Carbohydrate metabolism in growing rice seedlings under arsenic toxicity

We studied in the seedlings of two rice cultivars (Malviya-36 and Pant-12) the effect of increasing levels of arsenic in situ on the content of sugars and the activity of several enzymes of starch and sucrose metabolism: alpha-amylase (EC 3.2.1.1), beta-amylase (EC 3.2.1.2), starch phosphorylase (EC 2.4.1.1), acid invertase (EC 3.2.1.26), sucrose synthase (EC 2.4.1.13) and sucrose phosphate synthase (EC 2.4.1.14). During a growth period of 10-20 d As2O3 at 25 and 50 microM in the growth medium caused an increase in reducing, non-reducing and total soluble sugars. An increased conversion of non-reducing to reducing sugars was observed concomitant with As toxicity. The activities of alpha-amylase, beta-amylase and sucrose phosphate synthase declined, whereas starch phosphorylase, acid invertase and sucrose synthase were found to be elevated. Results indicate that in rice seedlings arsenic toxicity causes perturbations in carbohydrate metabolism leading to the accumulation of soluble sugars by altering enzyme activity. Sucrose synthase possibly plays a positive role in synthesis of sucrose under As-toxicity.     

Paraquat is not bacteriostatic under anaerobic conditions

To test the hypothesis that bacteriostasis by Paraquat (N, N′-dimethyl bipyridylium chloride) is dependent on its effect on electron transport, we exposed log-phase cultures of obligate and facultative anaerobes to 10^?3 molar Paraquat. In the absence of the ultimate electron acceptor, oxygen, millimolar Paraquat failed to inhibit bacterial growth, while aerobic growth was inhibited. Biological injury by Paraquat requires the presence of oxygen in green plants and bacteria. These findings lend weight to reports that severity of Paraquat-induced lung injury in mammals is related to oxygen tension.     

Mitotic activity in rice seedlings germinating under oxygen deficiency.

Rice seedlings germinating in oxygen-deficient environments do not manifest visual evidence of seminal or adventitious root growth or normal leaf growth, the coleoptile being the only seedling structure to emerge under these environmental conditions. Microscopic evidence, however, shows that mitotic activity occurs in the different tissues comprising the shoots of the seedlings germinating under oxygen deficiency. Thus evidence is presented here which shows that mitotic activity in rice seedlings germinating in oxygen-deficient environments is not confined solely to the emerging coleoptiles of the germinating seedlings.