A microsomal preparation has been obtained from newly germinated maize seedlings that catalyzes hydroxylation at the 3'-position of the flavonoid structure. The gene Pr, which has long been associated with this activity, showed average specific activities of 100, 36 and 6.3% for the homozygous dominant, heterozygous and homozygous recessive stocks. The level of enzyme observed in seedlings recessive for a1 or c2 or bz1 was noticeably in excess of that observed in seedlings having all the anthocyanin factors in the dominant state. The hydroxylase preparation was obtained by bicine buffer extraction of the seedlings followed by high speed centrifugation to yield a microsomal preparation. Seedlings were germinated on filter paper saturated with 1 mM CaS04 at 30 C in the dark (4 da) followed by exposure to light (1 da). Qualitative evidence has been obtained for the presence of the enzyme in immature aleurone tissue.
Russell L. Larson and James B. Bussard
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