Leaf Gas Film 1 promotes glycerol ester accumulation and formation of a tight root barrier to radial O₂ loss in rice

Rice (Oryza sativa L.) and many other wetland plants form an apoplastic barrier in the outer parts of the roots to restrict radial O2 loss to the rhizosphere during soil flooding. This barrier facilitates longitudinal internal O2 diffusion via gas-filled tissues from shoot to root apices, enabling root growth in anoxic soils. We tested the hypothesis that Leaf Gas Film 1 (LGF1), which influences leaf hydrophobicity in rice, plays a crucial role in tight outer apoplastic barriers formation in rice roots. We examined the roots of a rice mutant (dripping wet leaf 7, drp7) lacking functional LGF1, its wild type, and an LGF1 overexpression line for their capacity to develop outer apoplastic barriers that restrict radial O2 loss. We quantified the chemical composition of the outer part of the root and measured radial O2 diffusion from intact roots. The drp7 mutant exhibited a weak barrier to radial O2 loss compared to the wild type. However, introducing functional LGF1 into the mutant fully restored tight barrier function. The formation of a tight barrier to radial O2 loss was associated with increased glycerol ester levels in exodermal cells, rather than differences in total root suberization or lignification. These results demonstrate that, in addition to its role in leaf hydrophobicity regulation, LGF1 plays an important role in controlling the function of the outer apoplastic barriers in roots. Our study suggests that increased deposition of glycerol esters in the suberized root exodermis establishes a tight barrier to radial O2 loss in rice roots.