Changes in the content of organic and amino acids and ethylene production of rice plants in response to the inoculation with Herbaspirillum seropedicae

The variations of organic and amino acids in rice plants inoculated with Herbaspirillum seropedicae were analyzed in contrast with those of non-inoculated plants to provide information about plant-bacteria interaction. Inoculated plants showed higher contents of key amino acids of nitrogen assimilation that were more than five-fold higher than those of control plants, in the aerial tissues. At the same time, inoculated plants showed malate levels about twice as high as those found in control plants. Moreover, both ethylene production and ACS activity increased due to the inoculation with H. seropedicae. This is the first report on the ethylene and malate involvement in the metabolic response of rice to the inoculation with H. seropedicae.