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Characterization of nitrate reductase-deficient barley mutants

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Summary

Ten nitrate reductase-deficient Hordeum vulgare mutants were characterized for NADH and FMNH2 nitrate reductase (NR), cytochrome C reductase (CR) and nitrite reductase (NiR) activities. The mutants sort into four major groups. Group I represented by mutants Az 12, Az 23, Az 29 and Az 30 have low Nr and Cr activities. Group II represented by mutants Az 13, Az 31, Az 33 and Az 34 have low NR activities but intermediate CR activities. Group III represented by mutant Az 28 has low NR activity, but above normal CR activity. Group IV represented by Az 32 has low NADH-NR, low CR, but above normal FMNH2-NR activity. All ten mutants have elevated NiR activities. None of the ten mutants were constitutive for nitrite reductase activity. Only Az 34 showed a definite high temperature sensitivity when the NADH nitrate reductase activity was compared in the 12 to 26° C range. The mutants Az 12, Az 13, Az 23, Az 28, Az 29, Az 30, Az 31, Az 32 and Az 33 are allelic and were assigned the locus designation nar1. Mutant Az 34 represents a different genetic locus designated nar2. The nar1 gene is codominant and the nar2 gene is recessive.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Agronomy and Soils, Washington State University, 99164, Pullman, Washington, USA

    A. Kleinhofs & T. Kuo

  2. Program in Genetics, Washington State University, 99164, Pullman, Washington, USA

    A. Kleinhofs & T. Kuo

  3. Department of Agronomy and Soils, Washington State University, 99164, Pullman, Washington, USA

    R. L. Warner

Authors
  1. A. Kleinhofs
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  2. T. Kuo
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  3. R. L. Warner
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Additional information

Communicated by H. Böhme

Scientific Paper No. 5463. College of Agriculture Research Center, Washington State University, Pullman, Project Nos. 0233 and 0430. Supported in part by National Science Foundation Grants PCM 78-07649 and PCM 78-16025

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Kleinhofs, A., Kuo, T. & Warner, R.L. Characterization of nitrate reductase-deficient barley mutants. Molec. Gen. Genet. 177, 421–425 (1980). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00271480

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00271480

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