Isolation and partial purification of an enzyme catalyzing the formation of O-xylosylzeatin in Phaseolus vulgaris embryos.
An enzyme catalyzing the formation of a cytokinin metabolite, an O-pentosyl derivative of zeatin [Lee, Y. H., Mok, M. C., Mok, D. W. S., Griffin, D. A. & Shaw, G. (1985) Plant Physiol. 77, 635-641], was isolated from Phaseolus vulgaris embryos. Of all the potential pentose donors tested, UDP-xylose was the only substrate recognized by the enzyme. This indicates that the O-pentosyl derivatives previously obtained are O-xylosylzeatin and its ribonucleoside. The enzyme (UDP-xylose:zeatin O-xylosyltransferase, EC 2.4.2.-) has high affinity for trans-zeatin (K(m) 2 muM) and dihydrozeatin (K(m) 10 muM) but does not recognize cis-zeatin or ribosylzeatin. The molecular weight of the enzyme is approximately 50,000 and the pH optimum of the reaction is 8-8.5. Under comparable isolation and reaction conditions, similar enzyme activity could not be detected in P. lunatus embryos, confirming the genetic differences observed in vivo.
Department of Horticulture, Oregon State University, Corvallis, OR 97331.
J E
JE
Turner
D W
DW
Mok
M C
MC
Mok
G
G
Shaw