An early-maturity indica rice variety Zhefu 49, whose grain quality and starch structure are sensitive to environmental temperature, was subjected to different temperatures (32oC for high temperature and 22oC for optimum temperature) at the grain filling stage in plant growth chambers, and the different expressions of three isoform genes (SBEI, SBEⅢ and SBEIV) encoding starch branching enzyme (SBE) in the endosperms were studied by the real-time fluorescence quantitative PCR (FQ-PCR) method. Effects of high temperature on the SBE expression in developing rice endosperms were isoform-dependent. High temperature significantly down-regulated the expressions of SBEI and SBEⅢ, while up-regulated the expression of SBEIV. Compared with SBEIV and SBEⅢ, the expression of SBEI gene in Zhefu 49 rice endosperms was more sensitive to temperature variation at the grain filling stage. This study indicates that changes in weather/climate conditions especially temperature stress influence rice grain formation and its quality as evidenced by isoform expression.
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