Expression of defense genes and antioxidant defense responses in rice resistance to neck blast at the preliminary heading stage and full heading stage

The rice variety Xiushui227 is resistant to neck blast at three crucial panicle stages (the booting stage, the preliminary heading stage (PHS), and the full heading stage (FHS)) that controlling neck blast. The other rice variety Liangyou6326 is susceptible to neck blast at these three panicle stages. These two varieties were used to analyze the expression patterns of defense genes and antioxidant defense responses at the PHS and FHS, after inoculating the necks in vitro with Magnaporthe oryzae, respectively. All defense genes (pathogenesis-related genes PR1a, Gns1 (1,3; 1,4-β-glucanase), Cht-1 (chitinase), PR4, PR5, and PR10a, secondary metabolite pathway genes PAL (phenylalanine ammonia-lyase), CHS (chalcone synthase), and LOX (lipoxygenase), and oxidative stress-related protein genes POX22.3 (peroxidase), and PPO (polyphenol oxidase)) used in this experiment except Cht-1, CHS and PPO could mainly play important roles in the resistance to neck blast at the PHS in Xiushui227, and CHS and PPO may primarily participate in fighting back against to neck blast at the FHS. Conversely, PR1a, Cht-1, PR4, PR10a, CHS, LOX-RLL, and PPO could chiefly play participate in defending Liangyou6326 against neck blast at the FHS, and PR5, PAL, and POX22.3 may be primarily involved in fighting back against to neck blast at the PHS. Furthermore, the antioxidant enzymes superoxide dismutase, peroxidase, and catalase may mainly participate in defending Xiushui227 against neck blast at the PHS and defending Liangyou6326 against neck blast at the FHS, respectively. Therefore oxidative damage is less at the PHS in Xiushui227 and at the FHS in Liangyou6326, respectively.

► Studying rice resistance to neck blast at different panicle stages. ► Identifying the effects of defense genes on the rice resistance to neck blast. ► Estimating the effects of antioxidant enzymes on the rice resistance to neck blast.