biologia plantarum

Biologia plantarum 53:545-552, 2009 | DOI: 10.1007/s10535-009-0099-7

The role of salicylic acid in response of two rice cultivars to chilling stress

D. H. Wang^1,2, X. X. Li^1,3, Z. K. Su^1,3, H. X. Ren^1,*

¹ Institute of Botany, the Chinese Academy of Sciences, Xiangshan, Beijing, P.R. China

² Rubber Research Institute, the Chinese Academy of Tropical Agricultural Sciences, Hainan, P.R.China

³ Graduate University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, P.R.China

Two rice (Oryza sativa L.) cultivars differing in chilling sensitivity, Changbaijiu (chilling-tolerant) and Zhongjian (chilling-sensitive) were pre-treated with 0.5, 1.0 and 2.0 mM salicylic acid (SA) for 24 h before chilling at 5°C for 1 d. Chilling induced SA accumulation, particularly conjugated SA in both leaves and roots of the two rice cultivars. After SA administration, SA accumulated in the roots of both cultivars at a concentration-dependent manner, whereas only a slight increase was observed in their leaves. Conjugated SA accounted for most of the increase. The beneficial effect of SA treatment on protecting rice seedlings from chilling injury was not observed at any concentration in either cultivar. Pre-treatment with SA even decreased their chilling tolerance confirmed by increased electrolyte leakage and lipid peroxidation. Further, most of the activities of antioxidant enzymes decreased or remained unchanged in leaves and roots of SA pre-treated seedlings after chilling. These results implied that down-regulation of antioxidant defence might be involved in the reduction of chilling tolerance in SA-pre-treated plants.

Keywords: antioxidant enzymes; lipid peroxidation; Oryza sativa L.

Subjects: ascorbate peroxidase; ascorbic acid; catalase; glutathione reductase; guaiacol peroxidase; lipid peroxidation; membrane stability; Oryza sativa; rice; salicylic acid; temperature, low

Received: November 17, 2008; Accepted: July 20, 2009; Published: September 1, 2009Show citation