Enhanced ultraviolet-B radiation alleviates structural damages on rice leaf caused by Magnaporthe oryzae infection

Enhanced ultraviolet-B (UV-B) radiation can change the interaction between crops and pathogens. The effects of single and compound stresses of enhanced UV-B radiation (5.0 kJ & BULL;m(-2)) and Magnaporthe oryzae on the morphology, anatomy, and ultrastructure of rice leaves were investigated. M. oryzae infection decreased the leaf area and thickness, reduced the stomatal area and density, and caused damages to the leaf ultrastructure, such as cytoplasm-cell wall separation, atrophy and sinking of fan-shaped bulliform cells, and chloroplast deformation. The enhanced UV-B radiation supplied before or during M. oryzae infection remarkably decreased the mycelia number of M. oryzae in leaf epidermis, increased the leaf area, leaf thickness, stomatal density, and mastoid number; and alleviated the ultrastructural damages induced by M. oryzae to keep an integral chloroplast. While the UV-B radiation was supplied after M. oryzae infection, its alleviation effects on the damages induced by M. oryzae infection on the morphology and structure of rice leaf were attenuated. Thus, the alleviation of enhanced UV-B radiation on damages induced by M. oryzae infection on rice leaves was related to its application period. The enhanced UV-B radiation supplied before or during M. oryzae infection allowed the rice leaf to resist M. oryzae infection.

Automated summary

Enhanced UV-B radiation can change the interaction between crops and pathogens. The effects of enhanced UV-B radiation and Magnaporthe oryzae on rice leaf morphology, anatomy, and ultrastructure were investigated. Enhanced UV-B radiation supplied before or during M. oryzae infection significantly reduced the mycelia number of M. oryzae and alleviated the ultrastructural damages induced by the pathogen, while UV-B radiation supplied after infection had attenuated alleviation effects. The results suggest that the timing of UV-B radiation application is crucial in mitigating damages caused by M. oryzae infection on rice leaves.