Skip to main content
Plant Physiology logoLink to Plant Physiology
. 1978 Apr;61(4):570–574. doi: 10.1104/pp.61.4.570

Metabolism of Ammonium Ion and Glutamate in Relation to Nitrogen Supply and Utilization during Grain Development in Barley 1

Carol M Duffus 1, Roberta Rosie 1
PMCID: PMC1091919  PMID: 16660338

Abstract

Changes in the activity of a number of enzymes concerned with amino acid synthesis and metabolism were recorded for the endosperm, testa pericarp, and embryo of developing barley (Hordeum distichum L.) grains. Both glutamate-pyruvate transaminase and glutamate-oxaloacetate transaminase activities were present in all tissues and at all ages examined. Glutamate dehydrogenase activity was largely confined to endosperm while glutamine synthetase activity was mainly in the testa pericarp.

Ammonium ion concentration was maximal in endosperm by 20 days after anthesis. Glutamate concentration varied in endosperm and was in the range of 3.5 to 8.5 mm between 20 and 45 days after anthesis. Significant levels of ammonium ion and glutamate were also present in the testa pericarp over the major part of the developmental period.

Full text

PDF
570

Selected References

These references are in PubMed. This may not be the complete list of references from this article.

  1. Flint D. Synthesis of Endosperm Proteins in Wheat Seed during Maturation. Plant Physiol. 1975 Sep;56(3):381–384. doi: 10.1104/pp.56.3.381. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  2. Jones R. A., Larkins B. A., Tsai C. Y. Storage Protein Synthesis in Maize: II. Reduced Synthesis of a Major Zein Component by the Opaque-2 Mutant of Maize. Plant Physiol. 1977 Apr;59(4):525–529. doi: 10.1104/pp.59.4.525. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  3. Lea P. J., Miflin B. J. Alternative route for nitrogen assimilation in higher plants. Nature. 1974 Oct 18;251(5476):614–616. doi: 10.1038/251614a0. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  4. Nutbeam A. R., Duffus C. M. Evidence for C4 photosynthesis in barley pericarp tissue. Biochem Biophys Res Commun. 1976 Jun 21;70(4):1198–1203. doi: 10.1016/0006-291x(76)91029-9. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  5. O'neal D., Joy K. W. Glutamine synthetase of pea leaves: divalent cation effects, substrate specificity, and other properties. Plant Physiol. 1974 Nov;54(5):773–779. doi: 10.1104/pp.54.5.773. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  6. Penner D., Ashton F. M. Hormonal control of proteinase activity in squash cotyledons. Plant Physiol. 1967 Jun;42(6):791–796. doi: 10.1104/pp.42.6.791. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  7. Perez C. M., Perdon A. A., Resurreccion A. P., Villareal R. M., Juliano B. O. Enzymes of carbohydrate metabolism in the developing rice grain. Plant Physiol. 1975 Nov;56(5):579–583. doi: 10.1104/pp.56.5.579. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  8. Tsai C. Y., Salamini F., Nelson O. E. Enzymes of carbohydrate metabolism in the developing endosperm of maize. Plant Physiol. 1970 Aug;46(2):299–306. doi: 10.1104/pp.46.2.299. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]

Articles from Plant Physiology are provided here courtesy of Oxford University Press

RESOURCES