Watermelon (Citrullus vulgaris Schrad. cv. Fairfax) cotyledons were excised from the embryo and grown in the dark for 4 days. They were then transferred to 10 μm benzyladenine (BA) solution or illuminated with white light. We have compared changes in ultrastructure of the plastids and of their polypeptide pattern induced by the two treatments. At the end of the 4-day-period in the dark the plastids differentiated to amyloplasts and had few polypeptides: only the two subunits of ribulose bisphosphate carboxylase (RuBP) were clearly observed. Both light and BA induced starch depletion and gratia formation after 12–24 h. BA was less efficient than light in inducing thylakoid formation and more efficient in inducing starch depletion. After 6 h both factors induced the appearance of the same new polypeptides in the 28–53 kDa range. Most prominent among them is a 32 kDa band. Light is much more effective in inducing the formation of a 29 kDa band than is BA. In mature chloroplasts this band stains very strongly, while the 32 kDa band disappears. We suggest that the 29 kDa polypeptide is the light harvesting complex (LHC), since a purified LHC preparation from cotyledons grown either on water in light or on BA in the dark migrates on the polyacrylamide gel as a single 29 kDa band.
Early changes in morphology and polypeptide pattern of plastids from watermelon cotyledons induced by benzyladenine or light are very similar
BRACALE, MARCELLA;
1988-01-01
Abstract
Watermelon (Citrullus vulgaris Schrad. cv. Fairfax) cotyledons were excised from the embryo and grown in the dark for 4 days. They were then transferred to 10 μm benzyladenine (BA) solution or illuminated with white light. We have compared changes in ultrastructure of the plastids and of their polypeptide pattern induced by the two treatments. At the end of the 4-day-period in the dark the plastids differentiated to amyloplasts and had few polypeptides: only the two subunits of ribulose bisphosphate carboxylase (RuBP) were clearly observed. Both light and BA induced starch depletion and gratia formation after 12–24 h. BA was less efficient than light in inducing thylakoid formation and more efficient in inducing starch depletion. After 6 h both factors induced the appearance of the same new polypeptides in the 28–53 kDa range. Most prominent among them is a 32 kDa band. Light is much more effective in inducing the formation of a 29 kDa band than is BA. In mature chloroplasts this band stains very strongly, while the 32 kDa band disappears. We suggest that the 29 kDa polypeptide is the light harvesting complex (LHC), since a purified LHC preparation from cotyledons grown either on water in light or on BA in the dark migrates on the polyacrylamide gel as a single 29 kDa band.
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