Effect of anoxia on α-amylase induction in maize caryopsis

In the present paper we demonstrate the ability of maize caryopses to produce a-amylase as well as other enzymes involved in starch degradation under anoxia. Carbohydrates resulting from starch breakdown allow maize caryopses to avoid sugar starvation. Most interestingly, this correlates well with the ability of maize caryopses to sustain relatively prolonged anaerobiosis, in agreement with the hypothesis linking carbohydrate availability to anoxia tolerance.