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Changes in the levels of wheat- and barley-germ agglutinin during embryogenesis in vivo, in vitro and during germination

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Abstract

Radioimmunoassay has been used to measure levels of wheat-germ agglutinin and barley-germ agglutinin during embryogenesis and germination. The two lectins exhibited similar patterns of accumulation during grain maturation in vivo and both decreased to low levels after imbibition of harvest-ripe grains for 3 d. Precocious germination of immature wheat and barley embryos excised and cultured in vitro could be prevented either by inclusion of abscisic acid or mannitol in the culture medium. Changes in the level of wheat-germ agglutinin induced by in vitro culture depended on the maturation stage of the embryo. No direct correlation was found between application of exogenous abscisic acid and accumulation of the lectin.

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Abbreviations

ABA:

abscisic acid

BGA:

barley-germ agglutinin

dpa:

days post authosis

RIA:

radioimmunoassay

SDS-PAGE:

polyacrylamide-gel electrophoresis in the presence of sodium dodecyl sulphate

WGA:

wheat-germ agglutinin

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Morris, P.C., Maddock, S.E., Jones, M.G.K. et al. Changes in the levels of wheat- and barley-germ agglutinin during embryogenesis in vivo, in vitro and during germination. Planta 166, 407–413 (1985). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00401180

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00401180

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