Novel roles of hydrogen peroxide (H₂O₂) in regulating pectin synthesis and demethylesterification in the cell wall of rice (Oryza sativa) root tips.

Hydrogen peroxide (H₂O₂) has been reported to increase lignin formation, enhance cell wall rigidification, restrict cell expansion and inhibit root elongation. However, our results showed that it not only inhibited rice (Oryza sativa) root elongation, but also increased root diameter. No study has reported how and why H₂O₂ increases cell expansion and root diameter. Exogenous H₂O₂ and its scavenger 4-hydroxy-Tempo were applied to confirm the roles of H₂O₂. Immunofluorescence, fluorescence probe, ruthenium red staining, histological section and spectrophotometry were used to monitor changes in the degree of pectin methylesterification, pectin content, pectin methylesterase (PME) activity and H₂O₂ content. Exogenous H₂O₂ inhibited root elongation, but increased cell expansion and root diameter significantly. H₂O₂ not only increased the region of pectin synthesis and pectin content in root tips, but also increased PME activity and pectin demethylesterification. The scavenger 4-hydroxy-Tempo reduced root H₂O₂ content and recovered H₂O₂-induced increases in cell expansion and root diameter by inhibiting pectin synthesis, PME activity and pectin demethylesterification. H₂O₂ plays a novel role in the regulation of pectin synthesis, PME activity and pectin demethylesterification. H₂O₂ increases cell expansion and root diameter by increasing pectin content and demethylesterification.