Differential modulation of photosynthesis, ROS and antioxidant enzyme activities in stress-sensitive and -tolerant rice cultivars during salinity and drought upon restriction of COX and AOX pathways of mitochondrial oxidative electron transport

Drought and salt stresses are two major abiotic stress factors that hamper crop growth and productivity. Three rice cultivars with different sensitivity and tolerance towards abiotic stress were used in the current study. While cultivar Aiswarya is salt- and drought-sensitive, cultivar Vyttila is salt-tolerant and cultivar Vaisakh is drought-tolerant. We compared the physiological and biochemical responses of these rice cultivars under salt and drought stress conditions after restricting their cytochrome oxidase (COX) and alternative oxidase (AOX) pathways using antimycin A and salicylhydroxamic acid treatment. Further, changes in their expression of AOX genes and corresponding protein levels were compared and analysed. The sensitive and tolerant rice cultivars subjected to drought and salt stress showed differential responses in physiological and biochemical traits. Whereas Aiswarya showed clear phenotypic differences, such as stunted growth, leaf curling, and loss of greening in leaf tissues, with increase in salt content and progressive drought stress, Vyttila and Vaisakh showed no remarkable changes. Moreover, the drought-tolerant cultivar rehydrated after 10 days of drought exposure, whereas the sensitive variety did not show any rehydration of leaf tissue. The leaves of the tolerant cultivars showed lower reactive oxygen species (ROS) production than that of the sensitive plants under drought and salt stress conditions because of the activation of a stronger antioxidant defence. Although, the restriction of COX and AOX pathways increased the susceptibility of sensitive cultivars, it affected the tolerant varieties moderately. Higher photosynthetic rates, an efficient antioxidant system comprising higher superoxide dismutase, ascorbate peroxidase, and catalase activity along with higher AOX1a gene expression levels during drought and salt stress were observed in tolerant cultivars. The results suggest that an efficient antioxidant system and increased transcription of the AOX1a gene along with higher AOX protein levels are important for tolerant rice cultivars to maintain higher photosynthesis rates, lower ROS, and stress tolerance. Restriction of COX and AOX pathways impact the photosynthesis, ROS, and antioxidant enzymes in both sensitive and tolerant cultivars. The restriction of COX and AOX pathways have a stronger impact on gas exchange and fluorescence parameters of the sensitive cultivar than on that of the tolerant cultivars owing to the higher photosynthetic rates in tolerant cultivars.