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Plant Science Today (PST)

Research Articles

Vol. 13 No. 3 (2026)

Study of antioxidant enzyme gene expression in rice roots under PEG 6000-stimulated drought stress

DOI
https://doi.org/10.14719/pst.13643
Submitted
12 January 2026
Published
18-08-2026 — Updated on 18-09-2026
Versions

Abstract

Rice has become a staple food for the world, especially in Asia and Africa. Rice yield in Asia, especially Indonesia, has declined in recent years due to increasing drought frequency associated with climate variability. This study investigated genotype-dependent antioxidant enzyme responses to drought stress by analysing the expression of antioxidant-related genes OsDHAR, OsGPX, OsGR, OsGSTL2 and OsPOD in three rice varieties differing in drought tolerance (tolerant: Harum, moderate: Situbagendit and sensitive: Rosna). Seven-day-old rice of three varieties were exposed to drought stress with 20 % polyethylene glycol (PEG) 6000 in Yoshida nutrient solution for three days. Drought stress significantly altered antioxidant gene relative expression in rice roots at the seedling stage, reflecting changes in cellular redox regulation.
Two-way analysis of variance (ANOVA) revealed that treatment, drought tolerance level and their interaction significantly influenced OsDHAR expression, indicating genotype-dependent modulation of ascorbate recycling capacity. In contrast, OsGPX expression was significantly upregulated under drought stress, as determined by a t-test, suggesting rapid activation of peroxide detoxification pathways during early oxidative stress. The OsGR expression was significantly affected by drought tolerance level, highlighting its role in maintaining glutathione-dependent redox regulation across genotypes. Meanwhile, OsGSTL2 and OsPOD showed no significant responses, indicating selective and dynamic regulation of antioxidant components within the redox network under short-term osmotic stress.

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