Endogenous Elicitor Present in Barley Seeds

Endogenous elicitor(s) present in barley seeds induce the accumulation of antifungal substances effective against powdery mildew fungi. Antifungal substances induced by the treatment with barley seeds extract coincides with the one induced by the inoculation with compatible or incompatible races of powdery mildew fungi on thin-layer chromatography analysis. The resistance induced by the treatment with barley seeds extract correlates to the accumulation of the antifungal substances in barley leaves. Furthermore, the activity of phenylalanine ammonia-lyase was also induced by the treatment with barley seeds extract.     

Gibberellin like Substances in Parts of Developing Barley Grain

In husks, the activity of gibberellin-like substances extracted with aqueous methanol (M-“free” GAs) showed a maximum on the 9th day after pollination. In developing embryos, M-“free” GAs showed no biological activity, whereas biological active component(s) were obtained when the embryos were extracted with Tris buffer. The “free” GAs found in the buffer homogenates (B-“free” GAs) of developing embryos showed a maximum of activity on the 33rd day after pollination. Bound GAs recovered from the precipitated protein of the buffer homogenate (“Protein-bound” GAs) were found in embryo and endosperm. Developing endosperm generally contains the major amount of the extractable gibberellin-like substances. In this tissue, the amount of all examined fractions (M-“free” GAs, B-“free” GAs and “protein-bound” GAs) increased after pollination to reach a maximum on the 21st day, before decreasing to a minimum at grain maturity. Moreover, the curves for dry weight increase and gibberellin like substances follow a remarkably similar course, with the latter reaching its maximim slightly earlier than the former one. This result indicates that gibberellines may participate in the regulation of the accumulation process in the endosperm of barley grain.     

萌发大麦种子水溶性蛋白组分提取

采用二次回归正交旋转组合试验方法,对大麦种子中水溶性蛋白组分的提取工艺进行了研究,得出了大麦种子水溶蛋白组分提取量与料液浓度,浸提温度和浸提时间的数学模型,确定了大麦籽粒水溶蛋白组分最佳提取条件为料液浓度9．1％,浸提温度20℃,浸提时间3h;通过连续检测萌发大麦种子水溶蛋白含量发现：随萌发时间增长,蛋白含量逐渐升高,麦芽中水溶蛋白含量约为大麦的4倍．     

Growth-Regulating Substances and the Growth of Tiller Buds in Barley; Effects of Cytokinins

An hypothesis was set up from which it was predicted that applicationof cytokinin to barley seedlings grown without mineral nutrientswould lead to rapid growth of the coleoptile and first leaftiller buds. Application of cytokinins to the leaves was ineffective,but supplying a number of known cytokinins by steeping the rootsof 4 d old seedlings in solution for 4 h led to significantgrowth of the coleoptile bud. Adenine and cytokinin analogueshad no effect. Supplying cytokinins through the roots also furtherenhanced the growth of buds of plants given mineral nutrients.Cytokinin treatment reduced root dry matter, with small reductionsin mean axis length and number of lateral roots. For plantsnot given mineral nutrients reduction in root weight was compensatedby an increase in weight of the aerial parts; however, for plantssupplied with mineral nutrients this was not so and the lowerroot weight resulted in a smaller total plant dry weight. An interpretation of tiller bud growth in terms of control byinteracting effects of mineral nutrition, assimilate supply,and cytokinin availability is proposed.     

Enhancement of Gibberellin Activity by Ethylenediaminetetraacetic Acid in Celery Seeds and Embryoless Barley Seeds

The phytochrome-controlled dormancy of celery seeds (Apium graveolens L.) can be broken by exogenously applied growth regulators. Gibberellins, especially the mixture of GA₄ and GA₇ appeared to be the primary stimuli for germination of darkincubated seeds. However, concentrations less than 1 mM were ineffective in replacing the light requirement in one celery cultivar (cv.Utah), and in another cultivar (cv.Lathom Blanching), concentrations above 1 mM were insufficient. The addition of ethylenediaminetetraacetic acid (EDTA) to gibberellins, increased markedly their activity and reduced by several orders of magnitude the gibberellin concentrations needed to stimulate a light treatment. This synergistic activity is similar to the effect of benzyladenine (BA) or Succinic acid-2,2-dimethylhydrazide (SADH) when added to gibberellins. In a diverse plant system, the mixture of gibberellin with EDTA increased significantly the amount of reducing sugars released by embryoless barley seeds.     

Fusarium cerealis Associated with Barley Seeds in Argentina

Fusarium head blight is a fungal disease caused by a complex of Fusarium species on cereals, such as barley and wheat. It has economic impacts due to yield reductions and mycotoxin contamination. As barley production has increased considerably in the last 5 years in Argentina, a survey was conducted for identifying Fusarium species associated with barley grains. Fusarium cerealis was isolated and identified based on morphological and molecular analysis. The potential production of nivalenol and zearalenone was assessed using specific PCR assays. Koch′s postulates were carried out to confirm the pathogenicity of the fungus.     

Abscisic Acid and Gibberellic Acid Contents in Ripening Barley Seeds

The ABA and GA3 contents were investigated in barley seeds during maturation and after harvest. The highest amount of ABA was found in milk and wax ripeness – 13 ng and 11 ng per seed respectively. The level decreased during the later stages of maturation and during release of dormancy and was 1 ng per seed 6 weeks after harvest. The content of gibberellic acid decreased in a similar way but in an earlier stage of maturation. The determined amounts of GA₃ were: 0.4, 0.1, 0.03 and about 0.05 ng per seed respectively, in milk, wax and full ripeness and after harvest. The results of quantitative determination, obtained with the GLC method, corresponded to the growth effects in the test of the first leaf of oat.     

Phenotypic Mutations Induced During Storage in Barley and Pea Seeds

Previous work on chlorophyll-deficiency mutations in pea andbarley has shown that a significant increase in mutations isinduced by storing seeds under various conditions which leadto losses of viability to about 50 per cent. The work here showsthat a detectable increase in mutation frequency is also associatedwith much smaller losses of viability. Pea seeds were storedat 35 °C and 16.5 per cent moisture content for 40 and 57d when viability fell from 99 to 93 and 82 per cent, respectively.At the same time mutation frequency (percentage of seeds containingrecessive point mutations) increased from 1.62 per cent in thecontrol treatment to about 3 to 4 per cent. Barley seeds at15.5 per cent moisture content were stored at 50 °C for42 and 54 h, and at 35 °C for 28 and 39 d. During theseageing treatments viability fell from 98 to 75, 26, 93 and 48per cent respectively and the mutation frequency increased fromzero to between about 0.3 to 0.9 per cent. In both species theinduction of mutation by ageing treatments was significant butthe differences between the various ageing treatments were not.It is concluded that there is probably no safe threshold lossof viability which completely avoids mutation, and these resultssupport the view that for genetic conservation seeds shouldbe stored under conditions which minimise loss of viability. Pisum sativum L., pea, Hordeum distichum L., barley, mutation frequency, seed storage, seed viability     

Protein Bodies from Developing Seeds of Barley, Maize, Wheat and Peas: The Effects of Protease Treatment

When isolated protein bodies of barley were treated with proteinase-kthey were almost completely digested. Similar results were obtainedwhen fresh homogenates, prepared by rapid chopping of barleyor wheat endosperms into isolation medium, were incubated withthe protease. In contrast, the protein bodies of developingmaize endosperms, or pea cotyledons were resistant to proteaseattack. The results are interpreted as indicating that isolatedprotein bodies of developing wheat and barley endosperms arenot surrounded by a complete membrane whereas those of the peacotyledons and maize endosperms are.     

Growth-Regulating Substances and the Growth of Tiller Buds in Barley; Effects of IAA and GA3

Application of cytokinin to barley seedlings grown without mineralnutrients leads to rapid growth of coleoptile and first leaftiller buds. IAA and GA₃ cannot substitute for cytokinin inthis effect and applications of TIBA and CCC are also ineffectiveon bud growth. However, when bud growth was promoted, eitherby application of cytokinins or by supplying plants with mineralnutrients, IAA and GA₃ applications caused enhanced tiller growthindicating that these compounds can stimulate growth of activelygrowing buds. The results are compatible with an interpretationwhich stresses the importance of cytokinin availability in determiningtiller bud growth.     

大麦籽粒及花药愈伤组织的游离氨基酸含量分析

对同一基因型大麦花药愈伤组织与籽粒中的游离氨基酸含量尤其是赖氨酸含量之间的关系进行分析,结果表明,对同一基因型而言,愈伤组织及籽粒中的同一氨基酸含量高低具有相同趋势。同时着重分析了愈伤组织中游离脯氨酸的含量与绿苗分化的关系,结果表明游离脯氨酸含量高的愈伤组织,其绿苗分化率较高,说明脯氨酸对绿苗分化具有重要作用。966259的花药愈伤组织及籽粒中的游离氨基酸总含量及游离赖氨酸含量均最高。     

Embryo and Endosperm Metabolism of Barley Seeds during Early Germination

Embryos detached from germinating barley seeds were immersedin tritiated water or solutions containing ¹⁴C-labelled compounds.Amino acids rapidly became radioactive and later acids of theKrebs cycle. Labelled alanine did not give rise to radioactivesucrose.     

农杆菌对大麦种子萌发及幼苗生长发育的影响

以大麦品种(系)为主区('云引大麦Ⅰ'、'云引大麦Ⅱ'和'U008'),农杆菌浸种时间为副区(0.5、1.5和2.5 h),农杆菌菌液浓度为副副区(0.5、1.5和2.5 OD),采用再裂区试验研究了农杆菌浸种处理对大麦种子萌发和幼苗生长发育的影响.结果表明:品种、农杆菌菌液浓度、浸种时间对大麦的种子发芽率、幼苗高度、幼苗鲜重、叶绿素含量、丙二醛(MDA)含量影响无显著的互作效应,而对幼苗POD活性的影响存在显著互作效应;随着浸种时间的延长和菌液浓度的增加,各大麦品种(系)的种子发芽率、幼苗高度、幼苗鲜重、叶绿素含量均呈逐渐降低趋势,幼苗MDA含量则逐渐增加,并以'U008'变化幅度最大;在菌液浓度为0～1.5 OD、浸种时间为0～1.5 h范围内,幼苗POD活性随着菌液浓度的增加和浸种时间的延长而增强,超过该范围则均呈下降趋势,并以'U008'下降最为明显.可见,农杆菌处理对大麦种子萌发和幼苗生长发育有抑制作用,并在菌液浓度超过1.5 OD、浸种时间大于1.5 h时达极显著水平,且大麦品种间存在一定差异.     

Gibberellin-like Substances in Developing Barley Grain and Their Relation to Dry Weight Increase

Gibberellin-like activity of two varieties of barley (Hordeum vulgare L.) at different stages of grain development was determined by barley endosperm bioassay (acid phosphatase bioassay). Activity of the acidic ethyl-acetate fraction (“free” GAs) in both varieties displayed two maxima, a first maximum at the 9th day and a second one 20 to 21 days after pollination. Activity of the n-butanol fraction (“bound” GAs) first dropped to a minimum level at the 9th day, then increased to reach a maximum 32 days after pollination, and finally decreased again towards maturity. From the 9th day after pollination, a conversion of “free” GAs to “bound” GAs has probably occurred. From the 12th day after pollination, the curves of rate of dry weight increase and of “free” GAs run nearly parallel, but the latter reached its maximum about 2–4 days earlier than the former. The results indicate that gibberellins may participate in the regulation of the accumulation processes into the barley grain.     

The Location of Cytokinins and Gibberellins in Wheat Seeds

Wheat seeds (Triticum aestivum L. cvs. Yorkstar and Sirius) were cut transversely into embryoless and embryo-containing (embryonated) halves and the content of endogenous cytokinins and gibberellins in both halves determined before and after the seeds imbibed water for 12–15 h at 22°C in the light. Dry seeds contained little ethyl acetate-extractable gibberellin activity as measured by bioassay but n-butanol-soluble cytokinins were detected mainly in the embryoless halves. Dry, embryonated half-seeds contained water-soluble gibberellins which could be extracted into acidic ethyl acetate after treatment of the aqueous extract with either alkaline phosphatase, β-glucosidase or a crude pectolytic enzyme preparation. When half-seeds were allowed to imbibe water for 12 h and then extracted, cytokinin activity was largely lost from the embryoless halves and completely from the embryonated halves and water-soluble gibberellins were also lost from the embryonated halves. However, ethyl acetate-soluble gibberellins were present in the latter suggesting that “bound’ gibberellins were released during imbibition. The hormones present in normal and naturally embryoless dry grains of cv. Yorkstar were also determined. Both gibberellin and cytokinin activity was higher in normal grains suggesting that the presence of an embryo is essential for synthesis or accumulation of these hormones in the grain during development.     

Observations on Germination and Acetylcholinesterase Activity in Wheat Seeds

In the above article Fig. 1 appeared incorrectly; it shouldhave appeared as below: