Stabilization of pyruvate, pi dikinase regulatory protein in maize leaf extracts.

The objective of this study was to determine the biochemical basis for genetic variability in pyruvate,Pi dikinase (PPDK) activity among inbred lines of maize (Zea mays L.). Although in vitro PPDK activity varied more than 5-fold among eight maize inbreds, immunochemical determinations of the proportion of leaf soluble protein as PPDK revealed no significant differences among the inbreds. Genetic differences in the stability of PPDK activity in crude homogenates over 5 hours were not evident, but PPDK from some inbreds could not be activated in vitro. In vitro PPDK activation in crude homogenates could be restored by addition of casein (1% w/v) to homogenization media, and to a lesser extent, by gentle homogenization in a mortar. The major effect of casein appeared to be on processes other than proteolysis, as casein exerted its effects during tissue homogenization, rather than later. During homogenization, PPDK did not lose its ability to undergo in vitro activation; instead, it was instability of the regulatory protein responsible for PPDK activation that was the cause of the lack of PPDK activation in homogenates prepared without casein.

Relationships between CO(2) Exchange Rates and Activities of Pyruvate,Pi Dikinase and Ribulose Bisphosphate Carboxylase, Chlorophyll Concentration, and Cell Volume in Maize Leaves.

The relationships between CO(2)-exchange rate (CER), DNA and chlorophyll (Chl) concentrations, pyruvate,Pi dikinase (PPDK) and ribulose bisphosphate carboxylase (RuBPCase) activities in ten maize (Zea mays L.) genotypes were investigated. The in vivo degrees of activation of PPDK and RuBPCase were estimated to make meaningful comparisons with CER. In leaves at a photosynthetic photon flux density (PPFD) of 720 micromoles per square meter per second, in vivo PPDK degree of activation was 80% of that of PPDK fully activated in vitro, whereas RuBPCase could not be further activated in vitro, suggesting that RuBPCase was fully activated in vivo. CER varied about 50% among the genotypes tested. Significant genetic differences were observed for the average weight of a cell (estimated by gram fresh weight per milligram DNA), but this character was not correlated with CER expressed on a fresh weight basis. CER was correlated with Chl concentration, and with estimates of the in vivo degree of activation of PPDK and RuBPCase. We concluded that in maize, CER is controlled by the metabolic components of photosynthesis rather than by membrane resistances to CO(2). If the latter factor were controlling CER, then smaller cells with higher amounts of exposed cell surface area per unit cell volume would have lower resistance to CO(2) diffusion, and therefore higher CER. When data were expressed on a DNA basis (proportional to a per cell basis), results indicated that larger cells (i.e. those with higher fresh weight per milligram DNA) have a higher content of Chl, and higher PPDK and RuBPCase activities, resulting in higher CER than in smaller cells.

Ploidy effects in isogenic populations of alfalfa : I. Ribulose-1,5-bisphosphate carboxylase, soluble protein, chlorophyll, and DNA in leaves.

The influence of polyploidization on ribulose-1,5-bisphosphate carboxylase (RuBPCase), buffer-soluble protein (BSP), chlorophyll (Chl), and DNA was examined in fully expanded leaves of isogenic diploid-tetraploid (DDC 2X-4X) and tetraploid-octoploid (IC 4X-8X) sets of alfalfa (Medicago sativa L.). The concentration of RuBPCase in leaf extracts was determined by rocket immunoelectrophoresis. Activities of RuBPCase, expressed per milligram protein or per milligram Chl, and leaf tissue concentrations of RuBPCase, BSP, Chl, and DNA were similar between ploidy levels of the DDC 2X-4X set. Tetraploids and octoploids were similar in RuBPCase activities, expressed per milligram protein or per milligram Chl, and in leaf tissue concentrations of RuBPCase and DNA. Octoploids were significantly lower than tetraploids in concentrations of Chl and BSP.When compared on a per leaf basis, tetraploids were 80% higher in BSP and essentially double comparable diploids in fresh weight, RuBPCase, Chl, and DNA. The observation that leaves of the DDC tetraploid population contain twice as much DNA as comparable diploids suggests that leaves of both ploidy levels contain similar numbers of cells. Leaves of the octoploid population were 33% to 80% higher than corresponding tetraploids in BSP, fresh weight, RuBPCase, Chl, and DNA. Ratios of RuBPCase to DNA and Chl to DNA were similar across ploidy levels of both isogenic sets suggesting that cellular content of Chl and RuBPCase increases proportionately with the amount of DNA per cell.

Ploidy Effects in Isogenic Populations of Alfalfa : II. Photosynthesis, Chloroplast Number, Ribulose-1,5-Bisphosphate Carboxylase, Chlorophyll, and DNA in Protoplasts.

Photosynthetically-active protoplasts isolated from isogenic sets of diploid-tetraploid and tetraploid-octoploid alfalfa (Medicago sativa L.) leaves were used to investigate the consequences of polyploidization on several aspects related to photosynthesis at the cellular level. Protoplasts from the tetraploid population contained twice the amount of DNA, ribulose-1,5-bisphosphate carboxylase (RuBPCase), chlorophyll (Chl), and chloroplasts per cell compared to protoplasts from the diploid population. Although protoplasts from the octoploid population contained nearly twice the number of chloroplasts and amount of Chl per cell as tetraploid protoplasts, the amount of DNA and RuBPCase per octoploid cell was only 50% higher than in protoplasts from the tetraploid population. The rate of CO(2)-dependent O(2) evolution in protoplasts nearly doubled with an increase in ploidy from the diploid to tetraploid level, but increased only 67% with an increase in ploidy from the tetraploid to octoploid level. Whereas leaves and protoplasts had similar increases in RuBPCase, DNA, and Chl with increase in ploidy level, it was concluded that increased cell volume rather than increased cell number per leaf is responsible for the increase in leaf size with ploidy.

A simple and sensitive DNA assay for plant extracts.

A sensitive fluorimetric method was developed for the quantitative determination of DNA in plant (Zea mays L. and Medicago sativa L.) extracts. This method takes advantage of the specific increase in fluorescence intensity of the complex of DNA and the dye 4',6'-diamidino-2-phenylindole (DAPI). Recovery of DNA and dissociation of histones from DNA were maximized by the addition of 2.0 molar NaCl to the homogenates. Treatment of the homogenate with chloroform to remove pigments and proteins decreased the quenching of fluorescence of the DAPI-DNA complex. The fluorescence intensity of RNA with DAPI was less than 2% of that produced by an equivalent weight of DNA. Comparisons were made between this fluorimetric DNA method and the commonly used diphenylamine assay for DNA. The diphenylamine DNA assay was more timeconsuming, less sensitive, and consistently resulted in lower estimates of DNA concentrations than did the fluorimetric DNA assay.

In Vivo Determination of Parameters of Nitrate Utilization in Wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) Seedlings Grown with Low Concentration of Nitrate in the Nutrient Solution.

Six genotypes of winter wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) differing in grain protein concentration were grown on a nutrient solution containing low concentrations of NO(3) (-) (2 millimolar). Total NO(3) (-) uptake varied between genotypes but was not related to grain protein content. An in vivo nitrate reductase assay was used to determine the affinity of the enzyme for NO(3) (-), and large phenotypic variations were observed. In vivo estimations of the concentration and size of the metabolic pool were variable. However, the three genotypes with the higher ratios of metabolic pool size to leaf total NO(3) (-) concentration were the high protein varieties. It is proposed that a high affinity of nitrate reductase for nitrate might be a biochemical marker for the capacity of the plant to continue assimilating NO(3) (-) for a longer period during the last stage of growth.The potential use of such physiological criteria as markers is discussed, in particular with respect to breeding programs for the development of plants with efficient nitrogen utilization.