Effects of low temperature on grain filling, amylose content, and activity of starch biosynthesis enzymes in endosperm of basmati rice

The effects of low temperature on amylose contents and activities of key enzymes related to starch biosynthesis in basmati rice (Oryza sativa L.) endosperm were investigated. Low temperature treatment prolonged the grain-filling period from 32 days to 53 days, but had no significant effect on the final grain weight. Results showed that low temperature during grain filling had no significant effect on total starch content but increased the amylose content in the mature endosperm of hulled rice by 21%. The measurable activities of sucrose synthase (SuSy), ADP-glucose pyrophosphorylase (AGPase), starch phosphorylase (SPase), starch branching enzyme (SBE), and soluble starch synthase (SS) in endosperms developed at 12°C were lower than those at 22°C when compared at a similar ripening stage on an endosperm basis, but the activity of granule-bound starch synthase (GBSS) was significantly higher than the corresponding activity in endosperms developing at 22°C. These findings suggest that GBSS might play a crucial role in increasing amylose during low-temperature growth conditions.