PLANT PHYSIOLOGY , Vol 107, Issue 2 401-405, Copyright © 1995 by American Society of Plant Biologists
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BIOCHEMISTRY AND ENZYMOLOGY |
Light-Induced Chloroplast [alpha]-Amylase in Pearl Millet (Pennisetum americanum)
KJM. Vally and R. Sharma
School of Life Sciences, University of Hyderabad, Hyderabad-500134, India
In pearl millet (Pennisetum americanum) seedlings light induces the
appearance of a leaf [alpha]-amylase isozyme. The leaf [alpha]-amylase
isozyme was present in enriched amounts in isolated chloroplast but it
could not be detected in isolated etioplasts. The chloroplast
[alpha]-amylase was present in both mesophyll and bundle-sheath
chloroplasts. Preliminary characterization indicated that molecular
properties of chloroplast [alpha]-amylase were like those of a typical
[alpha]-amylase. The plastidic [alpha]-amylase had a molecular mass of 46
kD, pH optimum of 6.2, required Ca2+ for activity and thermostability, but
lost activity in the presence of ethylenediaminetetracetate. Plastidic
[alpha]-amylase activity after sodium dodecyl sulfate-polyacrylamide gel
electrophoresis could be renatured in situ by Triton X-100. Western blot
analysis demonstrated that this protein was antigenically similar to a
maize seed [alpha]-amylase. In vivo [35S]methionine labeling of
bundle-sheath strands isolated from light-grown leaves followed by
immunoprecipitation revealed that bundlesheath strands synthesized
plastidic [alpha]-amylase de novo.