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The carotenoid and abscisic acid content of viviparous kernels and seedlings ofZea mays L.

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Abstract

Carotenoid and abscisic acid (ABA) levels were determined in endosperm, embryos and seedlings of wild-type and viviparous (vp) mutants ofZea mays L. Carotenoid concentrations were determined by absorption spectrometry following purification by high-performance liquid chromatography and ABA concentrations by combined gas chromatography-mass spectrometry. Lutein and zeaxanthin were the terminal carotenoids in wild-type tissue. The carotenoid profiles ofvp-1 andvp-8 tissue were similar to that of the wild type; invp-2, vp-5, vp-7 andvp-9 carotenogenesis was blocked at early stages so that xanthophylls were absent. Except forvp-1, where the ABA content was similar to the wild type, the ABA content ofvp embryos was substantially reduced, to 6–16% of the corresponding wild type. Thus, the absence of xanthophylls was associated with reduced ABA content, which was in turn correlated with vivipary. Kernels ofvp-8 had a reduced ABA content although xanthophylls were present. Seedlings of carotenoid-deficient mutants rescued from viviparous kernels contained less ABA than did wild-type seedlings grown in the same way. Furthermore, the ABA concentration of such seedlings did not increase in response to water deficit. Conversely,vp-1 seedlings contained normal levels of carotenoids and ABA. Carotenoid-deficient seedlings did not contain appreciable amounts of chlorophyll so that chloroplast development was not normal. Thus ABA-deficiency could be associated with abnormal plastid development rather than the absence of carotenoids per se.

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Abbreviations

ABA:

abscisic acid

DAP:

days after pollination

i.d.:

internal diameter

FW:

fresh weight

GC-MS:

combined gas chromatography-mass spectrometry

HPLC:

high-performance liquid chromatography

MS:

mass spectrometry

vp :

viviparous

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Botany and Microbiology, University College of Wales, SY23 3DA, Aberystwyth, Dyfed, UK

    S. J. Neill, R. Horgan & A. D. Parry

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  1. S. J. Neill
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  2. R. Horgan
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  3. A. D. Parry
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Neill, S.J., Horgan, R. & Parry, A.D. The carotenoid and abscisic acid content of viviparous kernels and seedlings ofZea mays L.. Planta 169, 87–96 (1986). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF01369779

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF01369779

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