BACKGROUND Endogenous phytase plays a crucial role in phytate degradation and is thus closely related to nutrient efficiency in barley products. The understanding of genetic information of phytase in barley can provide a useful tool for breeding new barley varieties with high phytase activity. METHODOLOGY/PRINCIPAL FINDINGS Quantitative trait loci (QTL) analysis for phytase activity was condu...

Aspartate kinase (EC 2.7.2.4) has been purified 8-fold and characterized from germinating barley (Hordeum vulgare) seedlings. The enzyme is inhibited 50% by 0.7 mm l-lysine and almost completely at 5 mm. l-Methionine does not affect the enzyme on its own, but at low concentrations (0.1-1 mm) increases the inhibition in the presence of lysine, indicating that the two amino acids act as cooperati...

In the present study, we used Illumina sequencing technology (HiSeq 2000) to sequence the transcriptome of barley (Hordeum vulgare L., cv. Morex) under three different heavy metal stress conditions: copper, zinc and cadmium. For each of those metals, the concentration causing a 50% inhibitory effect for root growth (EC50) was determined. We sequenced the total RNA of both roots and shoots from ...

The transmembrane distribution of phosphatidylglycerol was determined in thylakoids from barley (Hordeum vulgare), lettuce (Lactuca sativa) and pea (Pisum sativum) chloroplasts. Phospholipase A2 and phospholipase D digestion and chemical-labelling methods were used. Phosphatidylglycerol was preferentially localized in the outer (stromal) leaflet. The proportion of the phospholipid in this leafl...

Levels of nitrate reductase activity (EC 1.9.6.1.) as high as 11 mumoles nitrite produced/hour gram fresh weight were found in barley (Hordeum vulgare cv. Compana) roots grown under low oxygen conditions. Roots of plants given identical treatment under sterile conditions did not develop the high levels of nitrate reductase activity. The results suggest that the buildup of particulate, reduced v...