Abstract: Salt stressed rice root tips were used to investigate the changes of reactive oxygen species (ROS) and antioxidant enzymes at the early stages of programmed cell death (PCD). The results indicated that 500 mmol/L NaCl treatment could lead to specific features of PCD in root tips, such as DNA ladder, nuclear condense and deformation, and transferase mediated dUTP nick end labeling positive reaction, which were initiated at 4爃 of treatment and progressed thereafter. Cytochrome c release from mitochondria into cytoplasm was also observed, which occurred at 2爃 and was earlier than the above nuclear events. In the very early phase of PCD, an immediate burst in hydrogen peroxide and superoxide anion production rate was accompanied by two-phase changes of superoxide dismutases and ascorbate peroxidase. A short period of increase in the activity was followed by prolonged impairment. Thus, we conclude that salt can induce PCD in rice root tip cells, and propose that in the early phase of rice root tip cell PCD, salt stress-induced oxidative burst increased the antioxidant enzyme activity, which, in turn, scavenged the ROS and abrogated PCD. Also, when the stress is prolonged, the antioxidant system is damaged and accumulated ROS induces the PCD process, which leads to cytochrome c release and nuclear change.

Key words: antioxidant system, Oryza sativa, programmed cell death, reactive oxygen species, salt stress.