Abstract
IT has been shown that when potassium is deficient, barley—like other species—accumulates the amines putrescine and agmatine1,2, which are derived from arginine. The product of decarboxylation, agmatine, is converted to putrescine with the intermediate formation of N-carbamylputrescine. Furthermore, when phosphorus is deficient, barley has an increased agmatine content, but there is no corresponding increase in putrescine3. In the plants deficient in potassium the production of agmatine and putrescine is accompanied by an increase in the activity of the enzymes, arginine carboxy-lyase and N-carbamylputrescine amidohydrolase4,5. It was of interest, therefore, to compare the activities of these two enzymes and the production of amines when phosphorus and potassium were deficient, and also to investigate the concentrations of agmatine and putrescine when some other essential elements were deficient.
Similar content being viewed by others
References
Richards, F. J., and Coleman, R. G., Nature, 170, 460 (1952).
Smith, T. A., and Richards, F. J., Biochem. J., 84, 292 (1962).
Hackett, C., Sinclair, C., and Richards, F. J., Ann. Bot., 29, No. 115, 331 (1965).
Smith, T. A., Photochemistry, 2, 241 (1963).
Smith, T. A., and Garraway, J. L., Phyotochemistry, 3, 23 (1964).
Richards, F. J., and Berner, jun., E., Ann. Bot., 18, No. 69, 15 (1954).
Sinclair, C., thesis, Univ. London (1965).
Coleman, R. G., and Richards, F. J., Ann. Bot., 20, No. 79, 393 (1956).
Smith, T. A., and Sinclair, C., Ann. Bot. (in the press, 1967).
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
SINCLAIR, C. Relation between Mineral Deficiency and Amine Synthesis in Barley. Nature 213, 214–215 (1967). https://doi.org/10.1038/213214b0
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/213214b0
- Springer Nature Limited