Transcriptional activation and structural alteration of wheat chromatin during germination and seedling‐growth

Abstract

The chromatin was isolated from embryos or young seedlings of wheat, Triticum aestivum L. cv. Mukakomugi, and the template activity, the endogenous RNA polymerase activity, the susceptibility to DNase 11 and polylysine binding capacity were assayed. Both transcriptional activities of chromatin were very low for the first 12 h of germination, increased from 12 to 24 h, and then increased markedly during the next 48 h of post‐germination. During the 72 h of germination, the template activity and the endogenous RNA polymerase activity increased 10‐fold and 40‐fold, respectively, while they decreased from 72 h to 96 h of seedling growth. Seventy‐two h seedling chromatin was more susceptible to endonuclease and was bound with more polylysine than the germ chromatin. These results suggest that the structure of the chromatin available for transcription changes during seed germination and seedling‐growth.