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Molecular, biochemical and bioassay based evidence of lower allelopathic potential in genetically modified rice

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Abstract

This study examines allelopathic potential of genetically modified rice. The experiment was conducted on two isogenic lines Bacillus thuringiensis (Bt) and non-Bacillus thuringiensis (non-Bt). Both isogenic lines have same allelopathic ability before insect feeding and after limited insect feeding (Spodoptera litura) non-Bt rice genotype demonstrates more allelopathic potential. The S. litura cannot feed Bt rice genotype. The role of shoot herbivory in allelopathic induction is further supported when Bt plants also exhibited higher allelopathic potential after insect regurgitant application to the damaged leaves. Allelopathic potential was assessed through several methods after treatments of mechanical damage, insect feeding and insect regurgitant application to damaged rice leaves. Rhizosphere soil and leaf leachates of non-Bt rice cultivar exhibited higher allelopathic potential on lettuce and barnyard grass after herbivore feeding. Enzyme activities (PAL and C4H) responsible for biosynthesis of phenolic compounds and their concentration were significantly higher in non-Bt plant after herbivore feeding and attain the same level in Bt plants after insect regurgitant application to damaged leaves. Similarly, genes (OsPAL and OsCYC1) responsible for biosynthesis of allelopathic compounds showed high expression in non-Bt plants after herbivore feeding. Our results indicate that herbivore feeding enhance rice allelopathic potential and no insect feeding as incase of Bt plants may reduce allelopathic potential of genetically modified rice.

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Acknowledgments

This research was supported by the National 973 project of China (2006CB100200), Natural Science Foundation of China (30870390, 30670331). Guangdong Natural Science Foundation of China (8451064201001012), Guangdong Science and Technology Plan Project (2008A030101008, 2008B021500001) and Doctoral Foundation of the Ministry of Education of China (20060564017).

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Key Laboratory of Ecological Agriculture, Ministry of Agriculture, Guangzhou, People’s Republic of China

    Khalid Mahmood, Ren Sen Zeng & Shi Ming Luo

  2. Institute of Tropical and Subtropical Ecology, South China Agricultural University, Wushan, Guangzhou, 510642, People’s Republic of China

    Khalid Mahmood, Muhammad Bismillah Khan, Ren Sen Zeng & Shi Ming Luo

  3. Department of Agronomy, Bahauddin Zakariya University, Multan, Pakistan

    Muhammad Bismillah Khan

  4. Department of Agronomy, University College of Agriculture & Environmental Sciences, The Islamia University Bahawalpur, Bahawalpur, Pakistan

    Muhammad Ijaz

  5. Department of Plant and Environmental Science, Faculty of Science, University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen, Denmark

    Khalid Mahmood

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  1. Khalid Mahmood
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  2. Muhammad Bismillah Khan
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  4. Ren Sen Zeng
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Correspondence to Khalid Mahmood.

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Mahmood, K., Khan, M.B., Ijaz, M. et al. Molecular, biochemical and bioassay based evidence of lower allelopathic potential in genetically modified rice. Plant Growth Regul 74, 73–82 (2014). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10725-014-9898-8

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10725-014-9898-8

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