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...

This study was carried out to compare grains of barley (Hordeum vulgare L. distichon) regarding contents and compositions of 5-n-alkylresorcinols. Mixtures of resorcinol homologues were isolated from acetone extracts from five barley cultivars. These polyketide metabolites were identified by chromatographic and spectroscopic means. The content and homologue patterns among different varieties we...

A new member of the P450 gene family was identified in barley. The P450 gene was a member of the subfamily CYP72A. Northern analysis revealed that various CYP72A39 transcripts were found in four barley cultivars at a very early vegetative stage but no expression was detected at the reproduction stage. This suggested that this P450 gene may be involved in seedling development in barley. Comparis...

The photosynthetic enzyme ribulose bisphosphate carboxylase-oxygenase [EC 4.1.1.39] (RuBPCase) plays a key role in the carbon reduction system of plants. In this study, we determined the kinetic variability of RuBPCase among 46 varieties of Hordeum vulgare L. at two ages. The V(max) CO(2) and K(m) CO(2) of RuBPCase was determined for each cultivar. Varietal differences were found in K(m) CO(2) ...

Pathogenesis-related protein 1a of Hordeum vulgare subsp. Vulgare (HvPR-1a) is induced by various pathogens and stress related factors. It plays important roles in plant defense system. Since the discovery of HvPR-1a a great deal of research has been focused on its isolation and characterization. However, three dimensional structure of HvPR-1a is still unknown. 3D structure can be used for dete...

Current study was set up to determine the response of 12 Iranian winter diploid barley (Hordeum vulgare L.) cultivars to anther culture on solid FHG induction medium supplemented with 90 mg/l sucrose, 2 mg/l 2,4-D and 0.1 mg/l kinetin. For cold pretreatment each selected spike was kept in a refrigerator at 4 C for 14 days. The experimental design consisted of a completely randomized design (CRD...

Using the facultative root hemiparasite Rhinanthus minor and its host Hordeum vulgare several aspects of water relations have been measured in this parasitic association. Extraction of xylem sap by the parasite from the host's roots is facilitated by con siderably higher transpiration per leaf area in the parasite than in the host and by the fact that stomata of attached Rhinanthus were open al...

It is not known to what degree aquaporin-facilitated water uptake differs between root developmental regions and types of root. The aim of this study was to measure aquaporin-dependent water flow in the main types of root and root developmental regions of 14- to 17-d-old barley plants and to identify candidate aquaporins which mediate this flow. Water flow at root level was related to flow at c...