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Carotenoid synthesis and pleiotropic effects in carotenoid-deficient seedlings of maize

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Abstract

Plastid-envelope membranes from seedlings ofZea mays L. made carotenoid-deficient by either norflurazon treatment or mutation lack an activity permitting conversion of phytoene to β-carotene. This activity in membrane fractions was measured by coincubation in vitro with a soluble system from spinach chloroplasts capable of converting [14C]isopentenyl pyrophosphate into phytoene. When grown in light, the carotenoid-deficient seedlings lack many soluble chloroplast proteins, including NADP-dependent malic enzyme (EC 1.1.1.40), pyruvate phosphate dikinase (EC 2.7.9.1), and ribulose-1,5-bisphosphate carboxylase (EC 4.1.1.39), but apparently still contain the soluble activities permitting synthesis of phytoene.

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Abbreviations

IPP:

isopentenyl pyrophosphate

LHCP:

light-harvesting chlorophylla/b-binding protein

norflurazon:

4-chloro-5(methylamine)-2-(α,α,α-trifluoro-m-tolyl)-3-(2H)-pyrazinone

TLC:

thin-layer chromatography

Tris:

3-amino-2-(dihydroxymethyl)-1,3-propanediol

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Author notes

  1. S. P. Mayfield

    Present address: Département de Biologie Moléculaire, Sciences II, Université de Genève, 30 quai Ernest-Ansermet, CH-1211, Genève 4, Switzerland

  2. T. Nelson

    Present address: Department of Biology, Yale University, 06511, New Haven, CT, USA

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Genetics, University of California, 94720, Berkeley, CA, USA

    S. P. Mayfield, T. Nelson & W. C. Taylor

  2. Division of Molecular Plant Biology, University of California, 94720, Berkeley, CA, USA

    R. Malkin

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  1. S. P. Mayfield
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  2. T. Nelson
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  3. W. C. Taylor
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  4. R. Malkin
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Mayfield, S.P., Nelson, T., Taylor, W.C. et al. Carotenoid synthesis and pleiotropic effects in carotenoid-deficient seedlings of maize. Planta 169, 23–32 (1986). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF01369771

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF01369771

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