REVIEW: Cytokinin Oxidase Is Key Enzyme of Cytokinin Degradation

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A. M. Avalbaev, K. A. Somov, R. A. Yuldashev, and F. M. Shakirova^*

Institute of Biochemistry and Genetics, Ufa Research Center of the Russian Academy of Sciences, pr. Oktyabrya 71, 450054 Ufa, Bashkortostan Republic, Russia; fax: (347) 235-6088; E-mail: shakirova@anrb.ru

^* To whom correspondence should be addressed.

Received March 21, 2012

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Cytokinin oxidase (EC 1.5.99.12) is an enzyme that catalyzes the irreversible degradation of cytokinin phytohormones that are extremely necessary for growth, development, and differentiation of plants. Cytokinin oxidase plays an important role in the regulation of quantitative level of cytokinins and their distribution in plant tissues. This review generalizes the available information on the structure, properties, and functional role of this enzyme in plant ontogeny under conditions of normal growth and under the influence of unfavorable environmental factors.

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KEY WORDS: cytokinin oxidase, cytokinins, cytokinin degradation

DOI: 10.1134/S0006297912120024

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