Alterations of Panicle Antioxidant Metabolism and Carbohydrate Content and Pistil Water Potential Involved in Spikelet Sterility in Rice under Water-Deficit Stress

• Published in: Rice science Vol. 17; no. 4; pp. 303 - 310
• Main Authors: FU, Guan-fu, SONG, Jian, LI, Yu-rong, YUE, Ming-kai, XIONG, Jie, TAO, Long-xing
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Elsevier B.V 01.12.2010; State Key Laboratory of Rice Biology,China National Rice Research Institute,Hangzhou 310006,China%Agricultural Bureau of Tuanfeng District in Huanggang City of Hubei,Huanggang 438813,China
• Subjects: antioxidant enzyme; carbohydrate content; flowering stage; pistil water potential; rice; spikelet sterility; water stress; 小穗不育; 干旱胁迫; 抗氧化代谢; 抗氧化酶活性; 水稻品种; 碳水化合物含量; 超氧化物歧化酶; antioxidant enzyme; carbohydrate content; pistil water potential; water stress; rice; spikelet sterility; flowering stage
• ISSN: 1672-6308; 1876-4762
• DOI: 10.1016/S1672-6308(09)60031-7

Two rice genotypes with different drought tolerance, namely Jin 23B （drought tolerant） and Zhenshan 97B （drought sensitive）, were used to study the antioxidant enzyme activities, soluble sugar and starch contents in spikelets, pistil water potential and pollen number on a stigma under water-deficit stress at the flowering stage, which were involved in the spikelet sterility. Compared with respective controls, drought stress induced more serious decreases of superoxide dismutase （SOD）, peroxidase （POD） and catalase （CAT） activities and more significant increase of malonaldehyde （MDA） content in spikekets of Zhenshan 97B than in Jin 23B on 9 and 12 days after water stress （DAWS）. The soluble sugar and starch contents increased significantly in spikelets of Jin 23B, but decreased significantly in spikelets of Zhenshan 97B during 9-12 DAWS. The pistil maintained higher water potential in Jin 23B than in Zhenshan 97B during 3-6 DAWS and 9-12 DAWS. In addition, water stress induced more significant decrease in the pollen number on a stigma as well as the percentage of unfilled grains in Zhenshan 97B than in Jin 23B. Thus, it is suggested that water stress induced spikelet sterility by damaging antioxidant enzyme activities, reducing carbohydrate content in spikelets and decreasing pistil water potential at the flowering stage in rice.