The effect of an anaerobic environment on the activity of alcohol dehydrogenase and other enzymes of corn seedlings

Abstract

Comparable sets of corn seedlings were grown for short (24-hr.) periods under aerobic and anaerobic conditions. The effect of these environmental conditions on the level of activity and rate of development of several enzymes extractable from the corn seedlings was compared. The specific and total alcohol dehydrogenase activities extractable from the embryonic axis and scutellum of corn seedlings were increased from two- to fivefold when the seedlings were grown under anaerobic conditions. The activity of triosephosphate dehydrogenase and glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase and aldolase was not significantly affected by the treatments. The specific and total cytochrome oxidase activity was depressed by the anaerobic treatments. The data suggest that environmental conditions favor or retard the synthesis of specific enzymes. Three different substrates, pyruvate, acetaldehyde, and ethanol, were used to induce or cause adaptive formation of alcohol dehydrogenase in intact corn seedlings and excised shoots. These experiments indicate that acetaldehyde is the natural inducer of alcohol dehydrogenase in young corn seedlings.