Summary
This report examines the relationship between seedling vigor, α-amylase enzyme activity and α-amylase mRNA accumulation in ten varieties of rice (Oryza sativa L.) grown at two temperatures (15°C and 30°C). A significant, positive correlation was observed between seedling vigor, α-amylase enzyme activity, and the accumulation of mRNA from one rice α-amylase gene (RAmy1A) at both temperature regimens. The results of this study support previous experiments which have correlated α-amylase enzyme activity to seedling vigor. We have extended this correlation to the expression of one of ten genes that comprise the rice α-amylase multigene family. These results suggest that the expression of α-amylase gene RAmy1A is an important, and possibly rate-limiting factor in determining seedling vigor in rice.
Similar content being viewed by others
References
Ausubel, F.M., R. Brent, R.E. Kingston, D.D. Moore, J.G. Seidman, J.A. Smith & K. Struhl, 1987. Phenol/SDS Method for Plant RNA Preparation. In: Current Protocols in Molecular Biology. John Wiley and Sons, New York, Volume 1: 4.3.1–4.3.4.1.: 4.3.1–4.3.4.
Chen, C.L., F.J.M. Sung & C.C. Li, 1986. Physiological and genetic studies on seedling vigor in rice (Oryza sativa L.) I. Relations between seed weight, seedling respiration rate, and growth of rice seedlings. J. Agric. Assoc. China 135: 10–15.
Daussant, J., S. Miyata, T. Mitsui & T. Akazawa, 1983. Enzymic mechanism of starch breakdown in germinating rice seeds (15): Immunochemical study on multiple forms of amylase. Plant Physiol. 71: 88–95.
Hahn, M. & V. Walbot, 1989. Effects of cold-treatment on protein synthesis and mRNA level in rice leaves. Plant Physiol. 91: 930–938.
Huang, N., N. Koizumi, S. Reinl & R.L. Rodriguez, 1990a. Structural organization and differential expression of rice α-amylase genes. Nucl. Acids Res. 18: 7007–7014.
Huang, N., T. Sutliff, J.C. Litts & R.L. Rodriguez, 1990b. Classification and characterization of the rice α-amylase multigene family. Plant Mol. Biol. 14: 655–668.
Huang, N., S.J. Reinl & R.L. Rodriguez, 1992a. RAmy2A; a novel α-amylase-encoding gene in rice. Gene 111: 223–228.
Huang, N., G.L. Stebbins & R.L. Rodriguez, 1992b. Classification and evolution of α-amylase genes in plants. Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. USA 89: 7526–7530.
Jones, D.B. & M.L. Peterson, 1976. Rice seedling vigor at suboptimal temperatures. Crop Sci. 16: 102–108.
Karrer, E.E., J.C. Litts & R.L. Rodriguez, 1991. Differential expression of α-amylase genes in germinating rice and barley seeds. Plant Mol. Biol. 16: 797–805.
Karrer, E.E. & R.L. Rodriguez, 1992. Metabolic regulation of rice α-amylase and sucrose synthase genes in planta. Plant J. 2: 517–523.
Koga-Ban, Y., M. Abe & Y. Kitagawa, 1991. Alteration in gene expression during cold treatment of rice plants. Plant Cell Physiol. 32: 901–905.
Lee, C.C., C.C. Li & F.J.M. Sung, 1986. Physiological and genetic studies on seedling vigor in rice (Oryza sativa L.) II. Inheritances of α-amylase activity and seedling vigor in rice. J. Agric. Assoc. China 135: 17–24.
Li, C.C. & J.N. Rutger, 1980. Inheritance of cool temperature seedling vigor in rice and its relationship with other agronomic characteristics. Crop Sci. 20: 295–298.
Ranjhan, S., J.C. Litts, M.R. Foolad & R.L. Rodriguez, 1991. Chromosomal localization and genomic organization of α-amylase genes in rice (Oryza sativa L.). Theor. Appl. Genet. 82: 481–488.
Ryan, T.A., B.L. Joiner & B.F. Ryan, 1982. Minitab Reference Manual. Pennsylvania State University Press, Philadelphia.
Sasahara, T., H. Ikarashi & M. Tsuroka, 1986. Genetic variations in embryo and endosperm weights, seedling growth parameters and α-amylase activity of the germinated grains in rice (O. sativa L.). Japan J. Breed. 36: 248–261.
Sun, Z. & C.A. Henson, 1991. A quantitative assessment of the importance of barley seed α-amylase, β-amylase, debranching enzyme, and α-glucosidase in starch degradation. Arch. Biochem. and Biophys. 284: 298–305.
Sutliff, T.D., N. Huang, J.C. Litts & R.L. Rodriguez, 1991. Characterization of an α-amylase multigene cluster in rice. Plant Mol. Biol. 16: 579–591.
Williams, J.F. & M.L. Peterson, 1973. Relations between α-amylase activity and growth of rice seedlings. Crop Sci. 13: 612–615.
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Karrer, E.E., Chandler, J.M., Foolad, M.R. et al. Correlation between α-amylase gene expression and seedling vigor in rice. Euphytica 66, 163–169 (1992). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00025299
Received:
Accepted:
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00025299