Effects of Different Kinds of Exogenous Auxin on the Growth of Rice Roots under Cadmium Stress

[Objective] The aim was to study the effect of different kinds of exogenous auxin on the growth of rice roots under cadmium stress.[Method] Oryza sativa L.cv Zhonghua No.11 was used as experimental materials to detect the effect of different kinds of exogenous auxin on the growth of rice roots.[Result] The results showed that 0.1 mmol/L Cd treatment could not only increase primary,adventitious and lateral root length but also lateral root number,whereas the shoot growth was inhibited.When supplemented with different concentrations of NAA,IAA,IBA and 2,4-D,the growth of root system varied and similar change trend had been found.At the auxin concentration of 10^-9-10^-7 mol/L in particular 10^-8 mol/L,all four kinds of auxin promoted the elongation growth of primary and adventitious roots,but inhibition was observed when auxin was higher than 10^-7 mol/L.The decreased shoot growth caused by Cd could not be counteracted by supplementing with the four kinds of auxin.However,at the auxin concentration of 10^-9-10^-8 mol/L,NAA could improve rice growth under Cd stress condition.The formation and development of lateral roots on primary and adventitious roots was not only similar but also different after applying the same concentration of four auxins.[Conclusion] The addition of suitable amount of auxin under cadmium stress （such as 10^-9-10^-8 mol/L of NAA and so on） could ease the damage of cadmium on plants to a certain extent.

Regulation of ABA on Rice Root System Growth under Cadmium Stress

[Objective] The regulation of ABA on rice root system growth under Cd stress was studied.[Method] Taking rice Zhonghua No.11 as material,changes in rice root system growth were studied under the treatments of Cd,Cd ＋ ABA and Cd ＋ ABA inhibitor.[Result] Exogenous ABA could shorten the length of primary roots and adventitious roots of rice and could obviously inhibit the formation of lateral roots in primary roots and adventitious roots;ABA could obviously shorten the distance from root hair to root tip,but had little effect on the quantity of adventitious roots.[Conclusion] ABA takes part in the regulation in rice root system growth under Cd stress.

Suberin Biopolymer in Rice Root Exodermis Reinforces Preformed Barrier Against Meloidogyne graminicola Infection

Exploration of novel genetic resources against root-knot nematode(RKN)is necessary to strengthen the resistance breeding program in cultivated rice,and investigations on the role of genotype-specific root anatomy in conferring a structural barrier against nematode invasion are largely underexplored.Here,we reported a highly-resistant rice germplasm Phule Radha that conferred remarkably lower RKN parasitic fitness in terms of reduced penetration and delayed development and reproduction when compared with susceptible cultivar PB1121.Using histological and biochemical analyses,we demonstrated that an enhanced suberin deposition in the exodermal root tip tissue of Phule Radha compared to PB1121 can effectively form a penetrative barrier against RKN infection,and this preformed barrier in the control tissue did not necessarily alter to a greater extent when challenged with RKN stress.Using qRT-PCR analysis,we showed that a number of suberin biosynthesis genes were greatly expressed in the exodermis of Phule Radha compared to PB1121.In sum,the present study established the role of rice exodermal barrier system in defense against an important soil-borne pathogen.

Effect of Indoleacetic acid (IAA) on the Negative Phototropism of Rice Root

To explore the effects of IAA on negative phototropism of rice ( Oryza sativa L.) root, agar block containing IAA was unilaterally applied on root tip to examine the phototropic response of root to exogenous IAA, and microstructure of the bending part was observed with an optical microscope. The growth of seminal roots could be regulated by exogenous IAA as well as light, as a result the root bent towards the site treated, causing asymmetric growth of the root cells at the elongation zone and consequently bending growth. IAA concentration in the shaded side of adventitious root increased much greater at 1.5 h after the start of irradiation. The unequal lateral IAA distribution can be concluded to be the main cause for negative phototropism of rice root.

Effects of Ethephon on Aerenchyma Formation in Rice Roots

The effects of ethephon on the constitutive aerenchyma formation in roots were studied with a rice variety Yangdao 6 as material. The number of air spaces formed by disintegrated cells in mediopellis increased significantly with the rising ethephon concentrations, whereas superoxide dismutase （SOD） activity showed downward trends. Compared with the control, the expression levels of xyloglucan endotransglycosylase （XED gene were markedly higher both at the apical 10 mm and distal parts of roots in 100 mg/L ethephon treated plants. The accumulation of XET was supposed to be associated with the aerenchyma development. Furthermore, earlier cortical cell death was observed under the ethephon treatments, and most of nuclei of cells at 4 mm from the root apex disintegrated with many Golgi apparatus, mitochondria and membranebound vesicles around the cell wall.

Discussion on Photoreceptor for Negative Phototropism in Rice Roots

To properly explore the photoreceptor for the negative phototropism in rice （Oryza sativa L.） root, lights with different wavelengths were applied to investigate the effect of light quality on phototropic bending. The phototropic bending could be induced prominently by blue/ultraviolet light, whereas not by red or far-red light. The absorption spectrum of the extracted solution from rice root cap had two peaks at 350 nm and 450 nm, respectively, and the molecular weight of the 120 kD protein in the root cap under unilateral light was larger than that under the dark. It suggested that the blue light receptor might be the photoreceptor for the negative phototropism in rice root.

Regulation of Sucrose and Zinc on Root System Growth in Rice

[Objective] The aim was to study the relationship between urcrose, zinc and the root system growth in rice. [Method] Changes of root system growth, ROS generation and root system proton export ability were analyzed in rice （Oryza sativa L. cv Zhonghua No.11） treated with different concentrations of Zn （NO3）3 sucrose, com- bined sucrose and Zn （NO3）3 mannitol as well as mannitol plus Zn （NO3）2. [Result] The results showed that treatment with 1-3 mM Zn（NO3）2 resulted in significant increases in total root length /number and in accumulation of H202 and 02- but decreases in root system proton export ability. With the exception of shoot length, the length of primary, adventitious, and lateral roots, and the number of adventitious, and lateral roots on primary /adventitious roots were all influenced by different concentrations of sucrose. High concentrations of sucrose caused increases in H202 and O2-, starva- tion or high concentrations of sucrose reduced root system proton export ability after treating with or without Zn. However, at the same concentration of sucrose, different changes of these indicators were observed between Zn and non-Zn treatments. The regulation of root system growth induced by sucrose was marked different from that of mannitol at the same concentration of 5%, suggesting that these effects were caused by sugar signal but not by osmotic potential. [Conclusion] This study indicat- ed that both sucrose and Zn play important roles in the regulation of rice root system growth.

Improvement of Rice Plant Root by Kaolin Application in Iron Toxicity Condition at Zoukougbeu (Central-West of Côte d’Ivoire)

In the tropics, lowland rice cultivation is often confronted with the problem of iron toxicity. The solution proposed by research in general is the use of industrial silicon. However, the high cost of industrial silicon limits its adoption by farmers. A study was carried out in Zakogbeu;Center-West of Côte d’Ivoire, to assess the potential of kaolin to mitigate the effect of this soil constraint on the root of the rice plant. Five kaolin-based treatments were analyzed (T0 = 0 kg kaolin ha−1, T1 = 366 kg kaolin ha−1, T2 = 736 kg kaolin ha−1, T3 = 1097 kg kaolin ha−1 and T4 = 1465 kg kaolin ha−1 are 0, 200, 400, 600 and 800 kg SiO2 ha−1) in a device in complete random blocks, with 5 repetitions. The results obtained show that kaolin supply increases the length of the root tissue as well as the number of branching of the root of the rice plant. Root tissue increased from 10 cm with T0 treatment to more than 15 cm with treatment T4. The microscopic observation of the roots shows that in the treatment T0, the roots present only primary ramifications and the tertiary and quaternary ramifications are observed with the treatments T3 and T4. The contribution of kaolin is an alternative to inhibit the effect of iron toxicity on the rice plant root development in iron toxicity condition.

Effect of Glucose on Zinc-induced Growth of Root System in Rice

[Objective] This study was aimed at exploring the effect of glucose signal on the zinc-induced growth of root system using rice as the material.[Method] The variation of root system growth,active oxygen production and proton secretion of root systems treated with various concentrations of glucose,glucose ＋ Zn（NO3）2,mannitol and Zn（NO3）2 ＋ mannitol were analyzed in rice（Oryza sativa L.cv Zhonghua no.11）.[Result] The results showed that the concentrations of glucose had affected the shoot height,primary root length,amount and length of lateral roots on primary roots,adventitious root length and length of lateral roots on adventitious roots in varying degrees,but not the amount of adventitious roots and lateral roots on adventitious roots under Zn＋ and Zn-condition.Glucose of high concentrations induced the production of active oxygen,while lacking of glucose would lead to the decrease of proton secretion of root systems.However,there were significant differences in these indexes between under Zn＋ and under Zn-condition treated with the same concentrations of glucose.The effects of glucose and mannitol with the same concentration on the growth of root systems were significantly different,indicating that the variation was resulting from sugar signal but not the osmotic potential.[Conclusion] The glucose had played important roles in the growth of rice root system both under normal condition and under Zn＋ condition.

Effects of Superoxide Radical on Root System Growth and Auxin Distribution in Rice

[Objective] This study aimed to investigate the effect of superoxide radical on root system growth and auxin distribution in rice （Oryza sativa L. cv Zhonghua No.11）. [Method] With rice Zhonghua No.ll as the experimental material, the effects of DDC （SOD inhibitor） and Tiron （superoxide radical scavenger） on the root system growth, superoxide radical generation and root system auxin distribution in rice were analyzed. [Result] The growth and elongation of primary and adventitious roots were significantly promoted by DDC, while Tiron significantly inhibited the growth and elongation of shoots, primary roots and their lateral roots, and also suppressed the formation and growth of the adventitious roots as well as the elongation of their lateral roots. The superoxide radical was increased with the induction of DDC, while Tiron decreased the accumulation of superoxide radical. Increased accumulation of auxin in the vascular bundle and behind the elongation zone was observed in DDC- treated roots, while the treatment with Tiron resulted in a decrease of auxin in the same position. [Conclusion] This study indicated that the regulation of rice root sys- tem growth by superoxide radical was closely related with the accumulation and distribution of auxin.

Enhancement of NH_4^+ Uptake by NO_3^- in Relation to Expression of Nitrate-Induced Genes in Rice (Oryza sativa) Roots

This study aimed to survey the expression of genes involved in rice N uptake and aasimilatory network and to understand the potential molecular mechanisms responsible for the NO3^-enhanced NH4^＋ uptake. By using quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction （PCR）, the genes related to N nutrition, including ammonium transporters （AMTs） and ammonium assimilatory enzymes （GS and GOGAT）, were transcriptionally analyzed in rice plants grown in the absence and presence of NO4^- in the NH4^＋-containing medium. The results showed that NH4^＋ uptake by rice was enhanced by the NO3^- supply to the medium. At the same time and in parallel, the amount of transcripts of seven genes （OsAMT1;1, OsAMT1;2, OsAMT4;1, OsGLNP, OsGLU1, OsGLT1, and OsGLTP） was increased in rice roots, but the expression of two genes （OsGLN1;1 and OsGLN1;P） was decreased and that of OsAMT1;3 remained without change. Up- or downregulation of these genes involved in NH4^＋ uptake and assimilation correlated with the increase in NH4^＋ uptake in the presence of NO3^- in rice roots.

Comparative proteomic study and functional analysis of translationally controlled tumor protein in rice roots under Hg^(2+) stress

So far, very little is known about mercury stress-induced intercellular metabolic changes in rice roots at the proteome level. To investigate the response of rice roots to mercury stress, changes in protein expression in rice roots were analyzed using a comparative proteomics approach. Six-leaf stage rice seedlings were treated with 50 μmol/L HgC12 for 3 hr; 29 protein spots showed a significant changes in abundance under stress when compared with the Hg2＋-tolerant rice mutant and wild type （Zhonghua 11）. Furthermore, all these protein spots were identified by mass spectrometry to match 27 diverse protein species. The identified proteins were involved in several processes, including stress response, redox homeostasis, signal transduction, regulation and metabolism; some were found to be cellular structure proteins and a few were unknown. Among the up-regulated proteins, OsTCTP （translationally controlled tumor protein） was chosen to perform hetereologous expression in yeast which was presumed to participate in the Hg2~ tolerance of rice, providing evidence for its role in alleviating Hg2~ damage. Among the many tests, we found that OsTCTP-overexpressed yeast strains were more resistant to Hg2＋ than wild-type yeast. Thus, we propose that OsTCTP contributes to Hg2＋ resistance. Here we present, for the first time, the functional characterization of OsTCTP in connection with Hg2＋ stress in plants.

Effect of Exogenous Ammonium on GlutamineSynthetase, Glutamate Synthase, and Glutamate Dehydrogenase in the Root of Rice Seedling

Root biomass of rice seedlings was increased at lower concentration of exogenous NH 4 + , but it was decreased at higher concentration of exogenous NH 4 + . The level of free NH 4 + in the roots was accumulated gradually with the increase of NH 4 + concentration in the nutrient solution. The content of the soluble proteins was essentially constant at higher NH 4 + . The activities of glutamine synthetase (GS), NADH-dependent glutamate synthase (NADH-GOGAT), and NADH-dependent glutamate dehydrogenase (NADH-GDH) were risen with exogenous NH 4 + concentration at the lower NH 4 + concentration range. But the activities of GS and NADH-GOGAT were declined, and the level of NADH-GDH activity was kept constant under higher NH 4 + concentration. The GS/GDH ratio suggested that NH 4 + was assimilated by GS-GOGAT cycle under lower NH 4 + concentration, but NADH-GDH was more important for NH 4 + assimilation and detoxifying NH 4 + to the tissue cells at the higher NH 4 + level. According to the growth and the activity changes of these ammonium-assimilating enzymes of rice seedling roots, 10. 0 μg/mL NH 4 + -N in nutrient solution was more suitable to the rice growth.

Nuclear translocation of OsMADS25 facilitated by OsNAR2.1 in reponse to nitrate signals promotes rice root growth by targeting OsMADS27 and OsARF7

Nitrate is an important nitrogen source and signaling molecule that regulates plant growth and development.Although several components of the nitrate signaling pathway have been identified,the detailed mechanisms are still unclear.Our previous results showed that OsMADS25 can regulate root development in response to nitrate signals,but the mechanism is still unknown.Here,we try to answer two key questions:how does OsMADS25 move from the cytoplasm to the nucleus,and what are the direct target genes activated by OsMADS25 to regulate root growth after it moves to the nucleus in response to nitrate?Our results demonstrated that OsMADS25 moves from the cytoplasm to the nucleus in the presence of nitrate in an OsNAR2.1-dependentmanner.Chromatin immunoprecipitation sequencing,chromatin immunoprecipitation qPCR,yeast one-hybrid,and luciferase experiments showed that OsMADS25 directly activates the expression of OsMADS27 and OsARF7,which are reported to be associated with root growth.Finally,OsMADS25-RNAi lines,the Osnar2.1 mutant,and OsMADS25-RNAi Osnar2.1 lines exhibited significantly reduced root growth compared with the wild type in response to nitrate supply,and expression of OsMADS27 and OsARF7 was significantly suppressed in these lines.Collectively,these results reveal a new mechanismby which OsMADS25 interacts with OsNAR2.1.This interaction is required for nuclear accumulation of OsMADS25,which promotes OsMADS27 and OsARF7 expression and root growth in a nitratedependent manner.

Visual Modeling of Rice Root Growth Based on B-Spline Curve

As a major food production crop in China,the growth and development of rice is an extremely complex systemic process,and the root system is the main organ for rice to obtain nutrients.Therefore,3D modeling and visualization of the rice root system can help to further understand its morphology,structure and function,and provide an aid for scientific cultivation of rice and improving rice yield for decision making.In this paper,a mathematical model of the rice root system is established based on the B spline curve combined with the L-system approach,using mathematical knowledge based on the 3D morphological characteristics of the real rice root system.The B-Spline Curve is chosen to simulate this,and the recursive definition of B-Spline Curve and its formula are used to realize the modeling of the rice root system curve.Based on the mathematical method of rice root system integration,the bending effect of rice root system at different periods and different growth positions is realized.Finally,the L-system combined with B-Spline Curve is used to construct a rice root system model and realize the rice root system visualization simulation.The simulated image is closer to the real rice root system image in terms of morphological structure and has a strong sense of realism.

The effect of integrative crop management on root growth and methane emission of paddy rice

In previous studies, integrative crop management (ICM) improved shoot growth and grain yield of rice (Oryza sativa L.). However, little is known about the effect of ICM on root growth and methane (CH4) emission of paddy rice. In this study, two rice varieties, Wuyunjing 24 and Yongyou 2640, were grown. A field experiment was conducted with three crop management treatments including zero nitrogen fertilization (0N), local farmer practice (LFP), and ICM. Root morphophysiological traits and CH4 emission from the paddy field were investigated. ICM significantly increased mean grain yield by 29.9%, with the effect attributed mainly to an increase in mean total number of spikelets by 26.4% compared to LFP. ICM increased root and shoot biomass, root length, number of roots, root oxidation activity (ROA), root bleeding rate, and root total and active absorbing surface area by respectively 24.4%, 25.7%, 17.1%, 9.3%, 18.7%, 29.5%, 12.1%, and 24.7%. The concentrations of malic, succinic, and acetic acids in root exudates were respectively 5.8%, 6.0%, and 10.5% higher in ICM than in LFP. Compared to LFP, ICM significantly decreased the rate of CH4 emission during emission peak stages and reduced total CH4 emission by 17.1%. The root morphophysiological traits were positively and significantly correlated with grain yield, whereas root length, specific root length, ROA, and root total and active absorbing surface area were negatively and significantly correlated with total CH4 emission. These results suggest that ICM could achieve the dual goals of increasing grain yield and reducing the greenhouse gas effect by improving the root morphology and physiological traits of paddy rice.

Negative phototropism of rice root and its influencing factors

Some characteristics of the rice (Oryza sativa L.) root were found in the experiment of unilaterally irradiating the roots which were planted in water: (i) All the seminal roots, adventitious roots and their branched roots bent away from light, and their curvatures ranged from 25° to 60°. The curvature of adventitious root of the higher node was often larger than that of the lower node, and even larger than that of the seminal root. (ii) The negative phototropic bending of the rice root was mainly due to the larger growth increment of root-tip cells of the irradiated side compared with that of the shaded side. (iii) Root cap was the site of light perception. If root cap was shaded while the root was irradiated the root showed no negative phototropism, and the root lost the characteristic of negative phototropism when root cap was divested. Rice root could resume the characteristic of negative phototropism when the new root cap grew up, if the original cells of root cap were well protected while root cap was divested, (iv) The growth increment and curvature of rice root were both influenced by light intensity. Within the range of 0-100 μmol·m-2·s-1, the increasing of light intensity resulted in the decreasing of the growth increment and the increasing of the curvature of rice root. (v) The growth increment and the curvature reached the maximum at 30℃ with the temperature treatment of 10-40℃. (vi) Blue-violet light could prominently induce the negative phototropism of rice root, while red light had no such effect. (vii) The auxin (IAA) in the solution, as a very prominent influencing factor, inhibited the growth, the negative phototropism and the gravi-tropism of rice root when the concentration of IAA increased. The response of negative phototropism of rice root disappeared when the concentration of IAA was above 10 mg·L-1.

MT 10 Mutant of Rice with Altered Lateral Root Initiation

Mutants with increased resistance to toxic anxin concentrations were first isolated in rice.The present report describes their isolation,genetics and physiological characterization.

Effects of Aeration on Root Physiology and Nitrogen Metabolism in Rice

In order to clarify the effects of aeration on root nitrogen metabolism in rice seedlings,rice cultivars Guodao 6 （indica） and Xiushui 09 （japonica） were investigated for root growth,the activities of glutamine synthetase （GS）,glutamic acid-pyruvic acid transaminase （GPT） and glutamic acid oxaloacetate transaminase （GOT）,the nitrate （NO 3-N） concertration,the contents of free amino acids and soluble sugar in root under hydroponics with continuous aeration treatment.The results showed that rice seedlings grown in oxygenation solutions had higher root dry matter,longer root length,stronger root activity and larger root absorption area compared with the control.In addition,the contents of soluble sugar,root vigor and the activities of GS,GOT and GPT in the aeration solutions were higher than those in the control.The results also indicated that the activities of enzymes involved in root nitrogen metabolism of Xiushui 09 were enhanced by aeration,however,there was no significant influence on root nitrogen metabolism of Guodao 6,which suggested that effect of oxygenation on rice root nitrogen metabolism might be genotype-specific.