Effect of silicon on the formation of cell walls in rice and tomato plants
2011
Inanaga, S. | Chishaki, N. | Chen, N.C.
The effects of silicon on cell wall formation in rice (Oryza sativa L.) and tomato (Solanum lycopersicum L.) plants were determined. Rice and tomato plants were grown in culture solution without silicon or with 50mg /L silicon, and then the cell wall was extracted from the rice straw and 3 plant parts of tomato (roots, upper leaves and stem, lower leaves and stem). The cell wall was fractionated into soluble pectin substances in hot water (F1), pectin (F2), oxidized lignin (F3), hemicellulose (F4) and cellulose (F5). In rice straw, silicon addition increased F2 weight after heading. In all plant parts of tomato, silicon supply increased F2 and F3 weights. In spite of silicon deficiency, silicon content of rice straw cell wall before heading and those of F2 and F3 at heading were higher in silicon deficiency than in silicon supply. Addition of silicon markedly increased silicon content of F1. In all plant parts of tomato, silicon supply markedly increased total cell wall silicon content, as shown by the increase in F1. The silicon content of F2 was higher with than without silicon addition. The absorption bands of infrared spectroscopy of F1 from roots of rice plant by silicon addition showed a shoulder at 940 /cm and an increase in intensity at 465 /cm, indicating an association of Si-O with -CH2-CH2-, and the existence of silicon, respectively. These results suggest that the later growth of rice straw and curling of tomato leaves as a result of silicon deficiency may be due to insufficient formation of primary cell wall, pectin and lignin, and that silicon absorbed during plant growth accumulates in F1, binding with organic compounds.
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