Comparison of Japonica and Indica Rice (Wild Type and Lsi1 Transgenic) in the Use of Silicon in Reducing Arsenic Toxicity.

A toxic element like arsenic can have devastating effects on rice production and health, and silicon as an abundant element is in fierce competition with arsenic for uptake by rice roots. The present study compared 5 varieties of Japonica (LE-WT, LE-OE, and LE-R) and Indica (DU-WT and DU-OE) rice to determine whether silicon reduces arsenic toxicity; So a completely randomized test was conducted with three repetitions and three treatments including arsenic, silicon, and arsenic + silicon. The results showed the positive impact of silicon on reducing arsenic concentration and MDA content on the roots and shoots of all rice, and improving silicon concentration, the activity of SOD, POD, CAT, APX, and GSH as well as dry weight, and soluble protein content in different rice organs. The results also confirmed that transgenic varieties (LE-OE, LE-R, and DU-OE) had a better ability to use silicon to reduce arsenic risk, although all DU-OE seedlings were dried in the absence of silicon in the second week after treatment with arsenic, suggesting its high sensitivity to arsenic and its urgent need for silicon in contaminated environments. Study results also confirm that Japonica rice is better able to use silicon than Indica, and among all the rice varieties, LE-OE showed the greatest reduction in arsenic stress by using silicon. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]