Phosphoproteomic Analysis Reveals Impairment of Rice Germination by Chloramphenicol

Area of Science:

• Plant Biology
• Molecular Biology
• Biochemistry

Background:

• Seed germination is crucial for rice production, but sensitive to environmental and chemical stresses.
• Chloramphenicol (CAM) is a phytotoxic antibiotic known to inhibit rice seedling establishment.
• The molecular mechanisms of CAM's phytotoxicity in rice are not well understood.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate the effects of varying chloramphenicol (CAM) concentrations on rice germination and early seedling establishment.
• To uncover the molecular basis of CAM phytotoxicity using time-resolved phosphoproteomic profiling.
• To elucidate how CAM disrupts rice development at the molecular level.

Main Methods:

• Investigated CAM effects on rice germination and seedling growth at different concentrations.
• Conducted time-resolved phosphoproteomic profiling during germination and early seedling stages.
• Analyzed dynamic, stage-specific phosphorylation changes in response to CAM.

Main Results:

• CAM significantly retarded rice germination speed and seedling growth, but final germination rates were largely unaffected.
• Moderate phosphorylation changes occurred during germination, affecting metabolic and cytokinesis processes.
• Extensive disruptions in metabolic pathways, stress responses, DNA replication, and hormone signaling were observed during early seedling establishment.

Conclusions:

• CAM disrupts rice development by remodeling phosphorylation networks.
• CAM modulates key physiological and signaling pathways, leading to growth inhibition.
• This study provides novel insights into antibiotic-induced plant growth inhibition and stress responses in early development.