This Article Full Text (PDF) Alert me when this article is cited Alert me if a correction is posted Services Email this article to a friend Similar articles in this journal Similar articles in Web of Science Similar articles in PubMed Alert me to new issues of the journal Download to citation manager Citing Articles Citing Articles via CrossRef Citing Articles via Web of Science (8) Citing Articles via Google Scholar Google Scholar Articles by Hsiao, T. C. Articles by Tyner, E. H. Search for Related Content PubMed PubMed Citation Articles by Hsiao, T. C. Articles by Tyner, E. H. Agricola Articles by Hsiao, T. C. Articles by Tyner, E. H.

Articles

Effects of Potassium Nutrition on Ribonucleic Acid and Ribonuclease in Zea mays L. ¹

Crop Physiology Laboratory, Department of Agronomy, University of Illinois, Urbana, Illinois

Potassium deficiency decreased the total RNA per shoot in corn (Zea mays L.) seedlings due to the reduced sizes of the plant, but increased the ratio of RNA to dry matter as much as 40%. Total base composition of RNA was unaffected by K⁺ deficiency. Thus K⁺ deficiency does not appear to alter RNA metabolism to such an extent that a lack of RNA becomes a factor limiting growth. The RNA contents of leaves were followed as deficiency developed or as the plant recovered from deficiency. Such time-course studies, although extremely useful in microbial work, did not yield as much information with higher plants. The ratio of RNA to dry matter in younger leaves was much higher than that in older leaves. The ribonuclease level in corn shoots was increased as much as threefold by K⁺ deficiency.

¹ This investigation was supported in part by a grant from the American Potash Institute and by Grant 791 from the United States Atomic Energy Commission and by pre-doctoral fellowships from the National Science Foundation and Wright Foundation to T. C. H.