| Abstract: | The changes of Ca2+ -ATPase activities of plasmolemma, and tonoplast membrane in roots and leaf chloroplasts in rice ( Oryza sativa L. ) seedlings were investigated for exploring the mechanism of cross adaptation to different stresses in the plants during the enhancement of chilling resistance induced by cold and salt pretreatment. The results indicated that the chilling resistance of rice seedlings was enhanced markedly by cold and salt pretreatment, but this enhancement was inhibited by Ca2+-chelate ethyleneglycol-bis-(β-aminoethyl ether) N, N-tetraacetic acid (EGTA) and the calmodulin inhibitor chlorpromazine (CPZ), it showed the calcium messenger system was involved in the course of chilling resistance formation. The Ca2+ -ATPase activity of root plasmolemma and tonoplast membrane as well as the Fe(CN)63- reduction in root plasmolemma in nonpretreated seedlings were declined markedly during the chilling stress. The Ca2+ -ATPase activities of plasmolemma, tonoplast membrane and chloroplasts as well as the Fe(CN)63- reduction of plasmolemma were enhanced by cold pretreatment. The activities of Ca2+ -ATPase and Fe(CN)63- reduction of plasmolemma, as compared with nonpretreated seedlings has increased by 86.80% and 93.93% respectively. The effect of salt pretreatmerit on the Ca2+ -ATPase activities of plasmolemma and chloroplast as well as Fe(CN)63- reduction of plasmolemma were similar to the effect of cold pretreatment. Although the Ca2+ -ATPase activity of tonoplast membrane was declined by salt pretreatment, the activity was none the less markedly higher than that of the nonpretreated seedlings. It showed that there was stronger ability of maintaining calcium homeostasis in the seedlings following two pretreatment. The results displayed that the enhancement of chilling resistance in rice seedlings with cold and salt pretreatment might be related to the effective activation of Ca2+ -ATPase in two pretreatment seedlings, because the activated Ca2+ -ATPase could bring back rapidly the raised cytoplasmic Ca2+ concentration from chilling stress to the state of calcium homeostasis, leading to the maintenance of normal functioning of the calcium messenger system and physiological metabolism. It seems that the adapated mechanism to chilling stress in two seedlings with cold and salt pretreatment was similar. |
