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NaCl-induced expression of glutathione reductase in roots of rice (Oryza sativa L.) seedlings is mediated through hydrogen peroxide but not abscisic acid

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Abstract

Reactive oxygen species (ROS) play an important role in NaCl stress. Plants tolerant to NaCl stress may evolve certain strategies to remove these ROS, thus reducing their toxic effects. Therefore, the expression patterns of the gene family encoding glutathione reductase (GR, EC 1.6.4.2) were analyzed in roots of etiolated rice (Oryza sativa L.) seedlings in response to NaCl stress. Semi-quantitative RT-PCR was applied to quantify the mRNA levels for one cytosolic (OsGR2) and two chloroplastic (OsGR1 and OsGR3) isoforms of glutathione reductase identified in the rice genome. The expression of OsGR2 and OsGR3 but not OsGR1 was increased in rice roots treated with 150 mM NaCl. The Rab16A is an abscisic acid (ABA)-responsive rice gene. Increasing concentrations of ABA, from 1 to 12 μM, progressively increased the expression of OsRab16A in rice roots. In the present study, the ABA level was judged by the expression of OsRab16A in rice roots. Treatment with 150 mM NaCl induced the expression of OsRab16A, and the expression increased with increasing concentrations of ABA, which suggests that ABA may be involved in this response in rice roots. In fact, exogenous application of ABA enhanced the expression of OsGR2 and OsGR3 in rice roots. On inhibiting ABA accumulation with sodium tungstate (Tu), an inhibitor of ABA biosynthesis, the expression of OsGR2 and OsGR3 was still induced by NaCl; therefore, NaCl-triggered expression of OsGR2 and OsGR3 in rice roots is not mediated by accumulation of ABA. However, NaCl treatment could induce H2O2 production in rice roots, and H2O2 treatment resulted in enhanced OsGR2 and OsGR3 induction. On inhibiting the NaCl-induced accumulation of H2O2 with diphenylene iodonium, the expression of OsGR2 and OsGR3 was also suppressed. Moreover, the increase in H2O2 level was prior to the induction of OsGR2 and OsGR3 in NaCl-treated rice roots. Thus, H2O2, but not ABA, is involved in regulation of OsGR2 and OsGR3 expression in NaCl-treated rice roots.

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Abbreviations

ABA:

Abscisic acid

Asc:

Ascorbic acid

APX:

Ascorbate peroxidase

CAT:

Catalase

DCF-DA:

2′, 7′-Dichlorofluorescein diacetate

DPI:

Diphenylene iodonium

DW:

Dry weight

ELISA:

Enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay

GR:

Glutathione reductase

GSH:

Reduced glutathione

GSSG:

Oxidized glutathione

ROS:

Reactive oxygen species

SOD:

Superoxide dismutase

Tu:

Sodium tungstate

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Acknowledgements

We thank Dr. Nai-Chun Lin for critically reading the manuscript. This work was supported financially by the National Science Council of the Republic of China.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Agricultural Chemistry, National Taiwan University, Taipei, Taiwan, Republic of China

    Chwan-Yang Hong, Min-Yu Yang & Sin-Yuan Cheng

  2. Institute of Biotechnology, National Taiwan University, Taipei, Taiwan, Republic of China

    Chwan-Yang Hong

  3. Department of Agronomy, National Taiwan University, Taipei, Taiwan, Republic of China

    Yun-Yang Chao, Shih-Chueh Cho & Ching Huei Kao

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  1. Chwan-Yang Hong
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Hong, CY., Chao, YY., Yang, MY. et al. NaCl-induced expression of glutathione reductase in roots of rice (Oryza sativa L.) seedlings is mediated through hydrogen peroxide but not abscisic acid. Plant Soil 320, 103–115 (2009). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11104-008-9874-z

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