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Title: PROTEIN CONTENT IN TISSUES OF NEAR ISO-GENIC SHRUNKEN2 SWEET MAIZE

Author
item Russo, Vincent

Submitted to: Cereal Research Communications
Publication Type: Peer Reviewed Journal
Publication Acceptance Date: 3/13/2001
Publication Date: 6/1/2002
Citation: RUSSO, V.M. PROTEIN CONTENT IN TISSUES OF NEAR ISO-GENIC SHRUNKEN2 SWEET MAIZE. CEREAL RESEARCH COMMUNICATIONS. 2002. v. 30. p. 209-216.

Interpretive Summary: As plants develop and mature they undergo physical and physiological changes. Proteins are important to plant health since they are components of plant cell physical structure and mediate physiological activities in the cytoplasm. Protein levels in tissues of a fungal pathogen susceptible and a fungal pathogen resistant "super sweet" sweet corns were determined at several developmental stages. These sweet corn lines are grown to physiological maturity to harvest seed. Total protein was similar between susceptible and resistant plants. Kernels had the most protein, immature ears the least, and the other tissues were intermediate. Total protein in the whole plant was similar through silking, and then increased at fresh- market maturity, and increased again at physiological maturity. Protein levels in tissues at earlier developmental stages appeared to be related to protein levels in later developmental stages. The data suggest that physiological activity in developing plants are related in time and space, and that factors that influence plant development early can result in changes to plant health at later stages.

Technical Abstract: The quantity and distribution of proteins in sweet corn is not well known, and changes in protein levels in tissues can affect physiological processes in maturing plants. This study was conducted to determine how protein levels change in juvenile to the physiologically mature tissues in near isogenic lines of a shrunken2 sweet corn that is susceptible and resistant to Puccinia maydis, the rust disease causal organism. Stalk, leaf, tassel shank, and ear tissues were separated at the mid-whorl (V10), emerging tassel (VN), expanded tassel (VT), silking (R1), fresh-market maturity (R3), and physiologically mature (R6) stages, and extracted to determine protein levels. Pearson Product Moment correlations were conducted to determine if protein levels in the tissues, at the developmental stages, were related. Total protein was similar between susceptible and resistant plants. Kernels had the most protein, immature ears the least, and the other tissues were intermediate. Total protein in the whole plant was similar through R1, and then increased at R3, and increased again at R6. The pattern of correlations for susceptible and resistant plants were different, with susceptible plants having more than resistant plants. Protein levels in tissues at earlier developmental stages appear to be related to protein levels in tissues at later developmental stages.