2017 Volume 51 Issue 2 Pages 137-146
Changes in sucrose metabolism have been implicated in tissue damage found in rice plants exposed to cold. However, little is known about the effect of low temperature on sucrose transport in cold-sensitive plants such as rice. Here, we investigated the changes induced by a 12°C chilling treatment on the soluble sugar content relative to the expression of sucrose transporter genes (OsSUT1-5) in various tissues of young (6-week-old) and mature (booting stage) rice plants. Sucrose levels increased in source tissues but decreased in young panicles during the chilling treatment. Sucrose transporter genes also responded to the chilling treatment: OsSUT1 in leaf sheaths and OsSUT2 and OsSUT4 in panicles were down-regulated. Our results suggested that the sucrose translocation supported by OsSUTs in rice plants decreased during chilling treatment, assuming the involvement of OsSUT1 and OsSUT4 in phloem loading of sucrose. These changes may induce a sugar imbalance in anthers, resulting in impaired pollen development.
