Iron treatment enhances the levels of reduced glutathione, oxidized glutathione and glutathione reductase activity in Rice (Oryza sativa L.)

Abstract

The six rice varieties (Govind, Super, HKR120, Pusa1121, HBC19 and Palman579) differing in grain iron concentration (35- 400 µg/g) were evaluated for changes in reduced (GSH), oxidized glutathione (GSSG) content and glutathione reductase (GR) activity in root and shoot tissues in response to varied iron concentrations at vegetative and reproductive stages. Plants were grown in pots in the net house and treated twice with Yoshida solution containing different iron concentrations (0, 0.1 mM, 0.5 mM EDTA-Fe II). Both reduced and oxidized glutathione content and activity of glutathione reductase invariably increased with increasing iron treatment in both roots and shoots. The GR activity remained significantly low in the low grain Fe content varieties, Govind and Super, as compared to medium, HKR120 and PUSA1121 and high Fe varieties, HBC19 and Palman579. A significant positive correlation was observed between the per cent change in glutathione content and GR activity.