Abstract
Selenium (Se) is crucial for both plants and humans, with plants acting as the main source for human Se intake. In plants, moderate Se enhances growth and increases stress resistance, whereas excessive Se leads to toxicity. The physiological mechanisms by which Se influences rice seedlings' growth are poorly understood and require additional research. In order to study the effects of selenium stress on rice seedlings, plant phenotype analysis, root scanning, metal ion content determination, physiological response index determination, hormone level determination, quantitative PCR (qPCR), and other methods were used. Our findings indicated that sodium selenite had dual effects on rice seedling growth under hydroponic conditions. At low concentrations, Se treatment promotes rice seedling growth by enhancing biomass, root length, and antioxidant capacity. Conversely, high concentrations of sodium selenite impair and damage rice, as evidenced by leaf yellowing, reduced chlorophyll content, decreased biomass, and stunted growth. Elevated Se levels also significantly affect antioxidase activities and the levels of proline, malondialdehyde, metal ions, and various phytohormones and selenium metabolism, ion transport, and antioxidant genes in rice. The adverse effects of high Se concentrations may directly disrupt protein synthesis or indirectly induce oxidative stress by altering the absorption and synthesis of other compounds. This study aims to elucidate the physiological responses of rice to Se toxicity stress and lay the groundwork for the development of Se-enriched rice varieties.