SITE OF α-AMYLASE IN DEVELOPING BARLEY KERNELS

Abstract

Dissection studies of two cultivars of barley showed that the pericarp of developing barley kernels contained α-amylase as well as starch granules. Shortly after anthesis, the starch granules disappeared completely and the α-amylase activity of the pericarp fell rapidly to a low level that was maintained until the kernels reached maturity. The α-amylase was isolated, partially purified by ion-exchange chromatography on carboxymethyl (CM) cellulose followed by selective precipitation with glycogen, and characterized by analysing the end-products of its action on amylose.