A comparative study of stress-related gene expression under single stress and intercross stress in rice

Abstract

ABSTRACT. Plant hormones play important roles in the crosstalk between biotic and abiotic stresses in rice throughout its entire growth period. However, these interactions are not completely understood. In this study, the physiological performance of rice seedlings under a single stress and a sequential combination of various stresses (intercross stress) was determined. We found that catalase, superoxide dismutase, and peroxidase activities and malondialdehyde were highly regulated by intercross stresses. Furthermore, the expression levels of pathogenesisrelated genes and drought stress-related genes under various treatments were analyzed. We demonstrated that under drought-disease intercross stress, the expression levels of the PR4, PAL, and Cht-1 genes were significantly upregulated, while under salt-disease intercross stress, the expression levels of the PR1a, PBZ1, Gns1, and Cht-1 genes underwent significant changes. Regardless of the type of intercross stress, the expression of LOX-RLL was significantly affected. We also showed that the expression of drought stress-related genes OsSKIPa, OsNADPH1, JRC0594, and OsGL1-2 was significantly regulated, suggesting that these genes play important roles in the interaction between biotic and abiotic stresses. We, therefore, conclude that the interactions between various types of biotic and abiotic stresses vary in a complex pattern and would require further in-depth investigation.

Activation of Secondary Metabolism in Citrus Plants Is Associated to Sensitivity to Combined Drought and High Temperatures

“…In natural environments, plants have to face different combinations of abiotic stresses, tailoring specific physiological and molecular responses to deal with a new stress situation, different from the individual stresses (Mittler and Blumwald, 2010; Suzuki et al, 2014; De Boeck et al, 2015; Hu et al, 2015; Liu et al, 2015; Zhang et al, 2015). …”

“…These responses, in turn, lead to changes in plant metabolism to minimize stress-induced damage. Studies focusing on a single abiotic factor do not represent the particular response of plants to a combination of different stresses, likely affecting to crops growing in the field (Mittler and Blumwald, 2010; Suzuki et al, 2014; De Boeck et al, 2015; Hu et al, 2015; Liu et al, 2015; Zhang et al, 2015). Specifically, the combination of drought and heat stress is considered one of the most recurrent condition that takes place in natural environments, affecting plant growth and productivity (Savin and Nicolas, 1996; Jiang and Huang, 2001; Mittler, 2006; Craufurd et al, 2008; De Boeck et al, 2015; Zandalinas et al, 2016b).…”

Hormone signaling pathways under stress combinations

“…A recent study demonstrated that expression of different sets of SA-and JA-associated genes were up-regulated in rice in response to biotic stress combined with drought or salt stress. 41 Although both drought and salt stress are able to activate SA-and JA-dependent defense mechanisms, different signaling pathways might be up-regulated by these abiotic stresses. This hypothesis could be supported by the finding that drought and salt stress are able to enhance tolerance of plants to different types of pathogens.…”

Plant strategies to deal with a combination of drought and high temperatures

“…In natural environments, plants have to face different combinations of abiotic stresses, tailoring specific physiological and molecular responses to face a new stress situation different from the individual stresses Liu et al 2015;Suzuki et al 2014;Zhang et al 2015).…”

“…Recent studies identified specific physiological and molecular responses of plants to a combination of different abiotic stresses, demonstrating the importance of studying stress combination Suzuki et al, 2014;Liu et al, 2015;Zhang et al, 2015). Water deficit and high temperature represent one of the most frequent abiotic stress combinations occurring under natural conditions .…”