Villosiclava virens infects specifically rice and barley stamen filaments due to the unique host cell walls.

Rice false smut, caused by the fungal pathogen Villosiclava virens, is one of the most important rice diseases in the world. Previous studies reported that the pathogen has less number of cell wall-degraded genes and attacks dominantly rice stamen filaments and extends intercellularly. To reveal why the fungus infects plant stamen filaments, inoculation test on barley was carried out with the similar protocol to rice.

[Gene expression of the key enzymes controlling starch synthesis and metabolism in rice grain endosperm under effects of high temperature after anthesis].

Taking an early-season indica cultivar 'Jiazao 935' whose grain quality was sensitive to temperature as test material, and by using artificial climatic chamber and real-time fluorescence quantitative PCR (FQ-PCR), this paper studied the relative expression amount and its dynamic changes of ten isoform genes of the key enzymes controlling starch synthesis and metabolism in rice grain endosperm, including sbe1, sbe3, and sbe4 of starch branching enzyme (SBE), isal, isa2, isa3, and pul of starch debranching enzyme (DBE), and Wx, sss1, and sss2a of starch synthase (SS), at the mean daily temperature 22 and 32 degrees C after anthesis. There existed obvious differences in the expression patterns of these genes under the high temperature stress, and the expression patterns were isoform-dependent. The relative expression amount of sbe1 and sbe3 under high temperature decreased significantly, and both of the genes were the sensitive isoform genes of SBE to high temperature stress.

Drought-stimulated activity of plasma membrane nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide phosphate oxidase and its catalytic properties in rice.

The activity of plasma membrane (PM) nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide phosphate (NADPH) oxidase and its catalytic properties in rice was investigated under drought stress conditions. Drought stress led to decreased leaf relative water content (RWC) and, as a result of drought-induced oxidative stress, the activities of antioxidant enzymes increased significantly. More interestingly, the intensity of applied water stress was correlated with increased production of H2O2 and O2 (-) and elevated activity of PM NADPH oxidase, a key enzyme of reactive oxygen species generation in plants.