Effect of Dihydrozeatin on the Mobilization of Protein Reserves in Protein Bodies during the Germination of Chick-pea Seeds

Abstract

Summary During the germination of chick-pea seeds, the absence of the embryonic axis markedly reduces the degradation of proteins located in protein bodies. All the enzymes studied - aminopeptidase, carboxypeptidase and caseinases - were found both in the albumin fraction and in the fraction of membrane-bound proteins (MBP) of the protein bodies. In the absence of the axis, an important degree of inhibition was observed in the different proteinase activities, with the exception of carboxypeptidase activity, which exhibited values very close to those obtained in protein bodies of cotyledons of seeds germinated in the presence of the embryonic axis. The application of dihydrozeatin led to an increase in protein degradation, mainly of the globulins, thus exerting an inductor effect on the different proteolytic activities when the hormone was applied to excised cotyledons. Only the aminopeptidase activity seemed to be regulated by the presence of dihydrozeatin.