Stress and activity of molybdenum-containing complex (molybdenum cofactor) in winter wheat seeds.

Molybdenum, applied in vivo, restored the damage from low temperature with winter wheat (Triticum aestivum, var "Sadovo 1") grown on acid soil and, in addition, sharply increased productivity (G Salcheva, D Georgieva, 1982; G Salcheva et al., 1977, 1979). Two fractions with molybdenum-cofactor activity in seeds were detected. One of them has a molecular weight of about 230 kilodaltons corresponding to xanthine oxidase activity and leaf nitrate reductase activity. The other has a molecular weight of about 60 kilodaltons. The ratio between the molybdenum-cofactor activity of these fractions was different in ;mother' seeds used in the experiment, in seeds obtained from the damaged plants, and in seeds obtained from the damaged plants restored by in vivo molybdenum addition. Every one of these fractions consisted of several components in which molybdenum-cofactor activity and stability in vitro was different. We suggest that plants store molybdenum as molybdenum carriers in these low molecular weight fractions.