PLANT PHYSIOLOGY , Vol 109, Issue 1 87-94, Copyright © 1995 by American Society of Plant Biologists
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BIOCHEMISTRY AND ENZYMOLOGY |
Purification and Characterization of a Novel Aminopeptidase, Plastidial Alanine-Aminopeptidase, from the Cotyledons of Etiolated Sugar Beet Seedlings
A. E. Amrani, C. Suire, B. Camara, J. P. Gaudillere and I. Couee
Station de Physiologie Vegetale, Institut National de la Recherche Agronomique, Centre de Recherches de Bordeaux, BP 81, 33883 Villenave d'Ornon Cedex, France (A.E.A., J.-P.G., I.C.)
During prolonged dark growth of sugar beet (Beta vulgaris L.) seedlings,
etioplasts, rapidly after the proplastid-etioplast transition, undergo a
degenerative process characterized by ultrastructural modifications,
protein loss, and the decrease of carotenoid and chlorophyll accumulation
upon illumination. Two plastidial aminopeptidase activities were identified
as early markers of this degenerative process (A. El Amrani, I. Couee,
J.-P. Carde, J.-P. Gaudillere, P. Raymond [1994] Plant Physiology 106:
1555-1565). The present study focuses on one of these markers and describes
the purification to homogeneity and characterization of plastidial
alanine-aminopeptidase. This novel aminopeptidase was found to be a
metallo-type naphthylamidase particularly active with alanyl, arginyl, and
leucyl substrates. Its plastidial location was confirmed by
immunofluorescence with polyclonal antibodies against the purified enzyme.
Its physico-chemical and enzymic properties are discussed with respect to
other higher plant aminopeptidases and to its potential functions during
prolonged dark growth.