1. ¹Institute of Plant Physiology and Ecology, Shanghai Institutes for Biological Sciences, Chinese Academy of Sciences, 300 Fenglin Road, Shanghai 200032, China
2. ²Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada, Pacific Agri-Food Research Centre, Summerland, B.C., V0H-1Z0, Canada

Correspondence: Wei-Ai Su, Tel: +86-21-54924245; Fax: +86-21-54924015; E-mail: zstressc@online.sh.cn

Received 12 November 2005; Revised 23 January 2006; Accepted 17 February 2006.

Abstract

Aquaporins play a significant role in plant water relations. To further understand the aquaporin function in plants under water stress, the expression of a subgroup of aquaporins, plasma membrane intrinsic proteins (PIPs), was studied at both the protein and mRNA level in upland rice (Oryza sativa L. cv. Zhonghan 3) and lowland rice (Oryza sativa L. cv. Xiushui 63) when they were water stressed by treatment with 20% polyethylene glycol (PEG). Plants responded differently to 20% PEG treatment. Leaf water content of upland rice leaves was reduced rapidly. PIP protein level increased markedly in roots of both types, but only in leaves of upland rice after 10 h of PEG treatment. At the mRNA level, OsPIP1;2, OsPIP1;3, OsPIP2;1 and OsPIP2;5 in roots as well as OsPIP1;2 and OsPIP1;3 in leaves were significantly up-regulated in upland rice, whereas the corresponding genes remained unchanged or down-regulated in lowland rice. Meanwhile, we observed a significant increase in the endogenous abscisic acid (ABA) level in upland rice but not in lowland rice under water deficit. Treatment with 60 M ABA enhanced the expression of OsPIP1;2, OsPIP2;5 and OsPIP2;6 in roots and OsPIP1;2, OsPIP2;4 and OsPIP2;6 in leaves of upland rice. The responsiveness of PIP genes to water stress and ABA were different, implying that the regulation of PIP genes involves both ABA-dependent and ABA-independent signaling pathways during water deficit.