PNL Volume 17 1985 RESEARCH REPORTS 61

COMPARISON OF PROTEIN AND ENZYME PATTERNS IN SEEDS FROM FIELD- AND

PHYTOTRON-CULTIVATED PLANTS.

Muller, H. P. Institute of Genetics, University of Bonn

Federal Republic of Germany

Use of controlled environment facilities allows study of the

genetic control of the photoperiodic and thermoperiodic reactions of

various genotypes. Mature seeds from numerous genotypes with differing

growth and flowering behavior were analyzed electrophoretically with

regard to their protein and isozyme patterns. We used material from

plants grown under 12 hr photoperiod at 25C day and 15C night, and com-

pared the patterns with those obtained from field grown material. (The

seed material was kindly provided by Dr. Gottschalk.) The results are

shown in Figs. 1 and 2.

Fig. 1. Direct isoelectric focusing of tissue sections of pea

cotyledons: protein patterns (pH gradient 4-6).

PNL Volume 17 1985

RESEARCH REPORTS

Fig. 2. Direct isoelectric focusing of tissue sections of pea

cotyledons: esterase patterns (pH 2-11).

In the upper part of both figures the patterns are drawn schemati-

cally in order of increasing staining intensity of the respective bands;

in the lower parts the banding patterns are grouped for comparison

according to the genotypes grown in the phytotron (CC) and in the

experimental field (F).

It can be seen that, although all genotypes were uniform for many

seed protein characters, distinct quantitative differences are discerni-

ble. The comparison of the protein and isozyme patterns from seeds

deriving from the experimental field and the phytotron also reveals dis-

tinct quantitative differences among numerous bands, indicating a dif-

ferent expression of the respective genes which code for them. This

provides a way to analyze the influence of environmental factors on the

regulation of protein incorporation into seeds. Of great interest are

genotypes which show qualitative differences, indicating substantial

changes in gene expression. Such changes may be seen in the esterase

patterns of genotypes 142, 507, and 421. This provides a "selection

filter" for the rapid selection of mutant genotypes which can be

analyzed in detail for the understanding of regulatory processes.