Salinity induced behavioural changes in malate dehydrogenase and glutamate dehydrogenase activities in rice seedlings of differing salt tolerance.

The activities of malate dehydrogenase in whole tissue extract (NAD(+)-MDH) as well as in mitochondrial (NAD(+)-MDH) and chloroplastic (NADP(+)-MDH) preparations of aminating (NADH-GDH) and deaminating(NAD(+)-GDH) glutamate dehydrogenases were studied in two sets of rice cultivars differing in salt tolerance grown under moderate (7 dS m(-1)) and high (14 dS m(-1)) NaCl salinity levels. A contrasting response to salinity on enzyme activities was found between the sensitive and tolerant cultivars during a 5-20-day growth period of study. NaCl salinity in situ caused increase in all three MDH activities in salt tolerant cvs. CSR-1 and CSR-3 whereas in salt sensitive cvs. Ratna and Jaya 16-100% inhibition in activities was noted. Chloroplastic MDH was extremely sensitive to NaCl. In seedlings of salt tolerant cultivars concomitant increase in both aminating and deaminating GDH activities was observed with increase in salinity level, whereas in sensitive cultivars under higher salinity level decrease in GDH activity was noted. Under in vitro conditions NaCl concentration in the range 1-1000 mM caused gradual inhibition in MDH activity. With 400 mM NaCl in vitro, complete loss of mitochondrial and chloroplastic MDH activities was observed. GDH activity increased with increasing concentration of NaCl up to 200 mM NaCl and other salts in vitro and was inhibited thereafter. However 800 mM NaCl caused complete loss of deaminating GDH activity from sensitive cultivar but not from tolerant cultivar. Results suggest varying behaviour of MDH and GDH in two sets of rice cultivars differing in salt tolerance and that inhibition in the activities of dehydrogenases in salt sensitive rice cultivars due to salinity may be one of the possible reasons for decreased growth of rice plants under saline conditions.