Early events in the signalling pathway for the activation of MAPKs in rice roots exposed to nickel

It is well known that small quantities of nickel (Ni) are essential for plant species, and higher concentrations of Ni retard plant growth. However, the molecular mechanisms responsible for the regulation of plant growth by Ni are not well understood. The aim of this study is to investigate the early signalling pathways activated by Ni on rice (Oryza sativa L.) root. We showed that Ni elicited a remarkable increase in myelin basic protein (MBP) kinase activities. By immunoblot and immunoprecipitation analyses, it is suggested that Ni-activated 40- and 42-kDa MBP kinases are mitogen-activated protein kinases (MAPKs). Pretreatment of rice roots with the antioxidant, glutathione (GSH), the phospholipase D (PLD) inhibitor, n-butanol, and the calmodulin and CDPK antagonist and W7 inhibited Ni-induced MAPK activation. These results suggest that various signalling components are involved in transduction of the Ni signal in rice roots.