Difference in oxidative stress tolerance between rice cultivars estimated with chlorophyll fluorescence analysis

Ichiro Kasajima

doi:10.1186/s13104-017-2489-9

Abstract

BackgroundOxidative stress is considered to be involved in growth retardation of plants when they are exposed to a variety of biotic and abiotic stresses. Despite its potential importance in improving crop production, comparative studies on oxidative stress tolerance between rice (Oryza sativa L.) cultivars are limited. This work describes the difference in term of oxidative stress tolerance between 72 rice cultivars.Methods72 rice cultivars grown under naturally lit greenhouse were used in this study. Excised leaf discs were subjected to a low concentration of methyl viologen (paraquat), a chemical reagent known to generate reactive oxygen species in chloroplast. Chlorophyll fluorescence analysis using a two-dimensional fluorescence meter, ion leakage analysis as well as the measurement of chlorophyll contents were used to evaluate the oxidative stress tolerance of leaf discs. Furthermore, fluorescence intensities were finely analyzed based on new fluorescence theories that we have optimized.ResultsTreatment of leaf discs with methyl viologen caused differential decrease of maximum quantum yield of photosystem II (Fv/Fm) between cultivars. Decrease of Fv/Fm was also closely correlated with increase of ion leakage and decrease of chlorophyll a/b ratio. Fv/Fm was factorized into photochemical and non-photochemical parameters to classify rice cultivars into sensitive and tolerant ones. Among the 72 compared rice cultivars, the traditional cultivar Co13 was identified as the most tolerant to oxidative stress. Koshihikari, a dominant modern Japonica cultivar in Japan as well as IR58, one of the modern Indica breeding lines exhibited a strong tolerance to oxidative stress.ConclusionsClose correlation between Fv/Fm and chlorophyll a/b ratio provides a simple method to estimate oxidative stress tolerance, without measurement of chlorophyll fluorescence with special equipment. The fact that modern cultivars, especially major cultivars possessed tolerance to oxidative stress suggests that oxidative stress tolerance is one of the agricultural traits prerequisite for improvement of modern rice cultivars. Data presented in this study would enable breeding of rice cultivars having strong tolerance to oxidative stress.

Highlights

Oxidative stress is considered to be involved in growth retardation of plants when they are exposed to a variety of biotic and abiotic stresses
Seven rice cultivars extensively studied in Japan including three Indica cultivars (Nana Bokra, Kasalath and Habataki) and four Japonica cultivars (Sasanishiki, Koshihikari, Akihikari and Nipponbare) were tested
High-throughput estimation of oxidative stress tolerance of rice leaves was performed in this study

Summary

Introduction

Oxidative stress is considered to be involved in growth retardation of plants when they are exposed to a variety of biotic and abiotic stresses. The question is whether other physiological traits that characterize quality of modern rice cultivars can be identified. One of such potential agricultural trait may be anti-oxidative capacity. Reactive oxygen species are generated under various stresses in rice plant [5,6,7,8]. Illumination of sunlight catalyzes generation of reactive oxygen species in plant (called photo-oxidation) [9, 10]. General knowledge on difference (or similarity) in oxidative stress tolerance between cultivars is the first step toward understanding its significance in rice breeding. Environmental stress tolerance emerges as one of the factors enabling fertilizer response of high-yield cultivars [4]

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Results

Discussion

Conclusion