The increase of spikelet number in the panicles of modern super rice has made the architecture compact, as the extra spikelets are accommodated mostly on secondary branches than on primary branches. However, the grain yield did not improve because of poor grain filling, which was more visible in the basal spikelets than apical spikelets. The objective of this study was to examine the effect of the compactness and positional difference of spikelets in the panicle on grain filling by comparing the activity and genetic expression of starch synthesising enzymes in the developing kernels of lax-(Upahar and CR3856-45-11-2-7-2-5 (CR-45)) and compact-(Mahalaxmi and CR3856-29-14-2-1-1-1 (CR-29)) panicle cultivars. Upahar and Mahalaxmi are genetically related, whereas CR-45 and CR-29 are recombinant inbred lines. The grain carbohydrate concentration and activity of sucrose synthase (SUS) enzyme were estimated during the active period of grain filling. Further, expression of isoforms of SUS, ADP glucose pyrophosphorylase (APL and APS for large and small units respectively) and starch synthase (SS and GBSS for soluble and granule bound starch synthases respectively) were also assayed through PCR studies. The genotype approach used revealed grain SUS activity and starch concentration high and sugar concentration low in the lax-compared with compact-panicle cultivars and in the apical spikelets compared with basal ones. The margin of variation between apical and basal spikelets was higher in the compact-than the lax-panicle cultivars. Genetic expression of most of the isoforms of the enzymes was higher in the lax-than the compact-panicle cultivars as seen in RT-PCR studies. A quantitative appraisal of transcript levels of isoforms in the qRT-PCR identified greater expression of SUS3 in the basal spikelets of Upahar than that in Mahalaxmi and in CR-45 over CR-29, most prominently during the active period of grain filling. We conclude that proximal location as well as increased density of spikelets on panicles affected SUS3 expression in the basal spikelets. The metabolic dominance of a spikelet in rice panicle is dependent on the expression of the genes for different isoforms of starch synthesising enzymes, but the expression of SUS3 could be more specific than the others. SUS3 expression is most active during grain filling of the lax-panicle cultivars, but its dominance is reduced significantly in the kernels of the compact-panicle cultivars.

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Despite the prevalence of poor grain filling in rice (Oryza sativa L.) under abiotic stress, the reason for this is largely unexplored. Application of 0.75% NaCl to a salt-sensitive rice cultivar at late booting resulted in a >20% yield loss. Spikelets per panicle and the percentage of filled grain decreased significantly in response to NaCl application. The inhibitory effect of NaCl on grain filling was greater in basal than in apical spikelets. Sucrose synthase (SUS) activity was positively correlated with grain weight. The transcript levels of the SUS isoforms differed greatly: the levels of SUS2 increased significantly in response to salt; those of SUS4 decreased drastically. Gene expression studies of starch synthase and ADP-glucose pyrophosphorylase showed that the decreased transcript levels of one isoform was compensated by an increase in those of the other. Salt application also significantly increased the gene expression of the ethylene receptors and the ethylene signalling proteins. The increase in their transcript levels was comparatively greater in basal than in apical spikelets. Significant enhancement in the transcript levels of the ethylene receptors and the increase in the production of ethylene indicated that the salt-induced inhibition of grain filling might be mediated by ethylene. Additionally, the inhibition of chromosomal endoreduplication mediated by decreased transcript levels of B-type cyclin could explain poor grain filling under salt stress. A significant increase in the transcript levels of the ethylene-responsive factors in the spikelets during grain filling in response to salt indicated their possible protective role in grain filling under stress.