Changes in the Activities of Several Enzymes during Germination and Seedling Development in Corn (Zea mays L.).

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Abstract
Preparations of embryos, etiolated shoots, and green seedlings of dent corn were assayed for activities of catalase, cytochrome oxidase, peroxidase, phosphatase, and polyphenolase. The preparations were arranged as follows in order of their specific activities: catalase[long dash]seedling < shoot, embryo; cytochrome oxidase[long dash]embryo, seedling < shoot; peroxidase and phosphatase[long dash]embryo < shoot, seedling; polyphenolase[long dash]embryo < shoot < seedling. Etiolated shoots of increasing age yielded preparations of increasing specific activity with respect to the five enzymes. A similar but less pronounced effect of age was noted in experiments with green seedlings. High speed centrifugation of shoot preparations resulted in the sedimentation of a fraction with which were associated most of the catalase, cytochrome oxidase, and polyphenolase activities of the original preparation, while the supernatant accounted for most of the peroxidase and phosphatase activities.