Changing Kinetic Properties of Barley Alcohol Dehydrogenase during Hypoxic Conditions

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Abstract
The Finnish barley cultivar (Hordeum vulgare L, cv. Hankkija-673) was grown in solution culture for periods of one and two months. The one month old plants had seminal roots, whereas the two month old plants grew adventitious roots from the lower nodes. The roots were tested for ADH activity during aeration, during 3 d of hypoxic treatment (brought about by passing nitrogen through the nutrient solution), and during a 4 d recovery period. The ADH activity, calculated on a protein basis, rose about 4-fold during the nitrogen treatment, the greatest increase occurring in the adventitious roots. Differences in the kinetic properties of ADH during the hypoxic period were also found between seminal and adventitious roots. The Km for acetaldehyde changed little in the seminal roots during the hypoxic treatment, but in the adventitious roots it decreased considerably. The physiological significance of these changes is discussed.