THE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN MALE STERILITY OF RICE AND ACTIVITIES OF SOME ENZYMES AND RATE OF RESPIRATION IN POLLON

1. The present pgper deals with the contents of starch and protein, and the activities of 4 enzymes in the pollen of male sterile and maintainer lines in rice at different development stages by means of histochemical methods. Experimental results showed that in various development stages of pollen, espe- cially in binucleate stage. The activities uf cytochrome oxidase, polyphend oxidase and ATP ase in male sterile line were lower than those in maintainer line. The activity of peroxidase of male sterile line was higher than that of the maifftainer in uni- nucleate stage. After the bi nucleate stage, the enzyme activity of male sterile line was much lower than that in the maintainer. 2. At various development stages, the rate of respiration of anthers of male sterile line was lower than that of the maintainer. After heading, the rate of res- piration of male sterile line was increased. 3. After the bi nucleate stage, especially in the tri nucleate stage, hydrogen peroxide was accumulated in pollen of male sterile line, but in the maintainer there is no accumulation of hydrogen peroxide at all develvpment stages. 4. After the bi nucleate stage, the activities of these 4 enzymes and the con- tents of starch and protein may be used as indeces of pollen fertility. We used Hg-bromophenol blue method to detect the protein of sterile pollen which contains abundent starch. It is a simple and practical method for detecting pollen fertility.