ABSTRACT
The seed germination processes of cereal grains have clearly divided functional differentiation. In particular, the system that supplies nutrition for germination is anatomically divided from the embryo, even though its functioning is controlled by information from the embryo. Gibberellic acid elicits the translation of alpha-amylase mRNA from the DNA, and induces the synthesis of alpha-amylase protein. Although gibberellic acid not only affects but is also necessary for the enzyme secretion processes in the aleurone cell, the study of the enzyme secretion process and its regulating systems has not progressed. The longer the period of imbibition, the later the hydrolase secretion started. This seems to be a common phenomenon of gibberellic-acid-induced enzyme secretion from the aleurone cell. During the active enzyme-secretion phase of an aleurone cell, the nucleolus is transformed from its usual roundshape into an amoeboid-like structure of unstable shape. In contrast to the p-NP phosphatase, the alpha-amylase secretion was inhibited by the chlorpromazine.
