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ARS Home » Southeast Area » Fort Pierce, Florida » U.S. Horticultural Research Laboratory » Subtropical Insects and Horticulture Research » Research » Publications at this Location » Publication #149280
Title: A SOYBEAN VEGETATIVE STORAGE PEPTISE (VSP-B) TRANSGENICALLY EXPRESSED IN MAIZE VEGETATIVE TISSUE IS DEGRATED DURNG SEED-FILL

Author
item GRANDO, MAGALI - UNIV. OF PASSO FUNDO
item SMITH, REX - UNIV. OF FL
item SCULLY, BRIAN - UNIV. OF FL, IFAS
item Shatters, Robert - Bob

Submitted to: American Society of Plant Biologists Annual Meeting
Publication Type: Abstract Only
Publication Acceptance Date: 5/13/2003
Publication Date: 8/4/2003
Citation: Grando, M.F., Smith, R., Scully, B., Shatters, R.G. 2003. A soybean vegetative storage peptise (vsp-b) transgenically expressed in maize vegetative tissue is degrated durng seed-fill. American Society of Plant Biologists Annual Meeting.

Interpretive Summary:

Technical Abstract: Maize does not accumulate high levels of protein in vegetative tissues prior to seed-set as occurs in legumes such as soybeans. Transgenic lines of maize expressing the soybean vegetative storage protein (VSP-b) peptide were developed to study how the maize cellular machinery would handle storage protein accumulation in vegetative tissue. The VSP-b transcript was detected in vegetative tissues at all stages of maturity in both the stems and the leaves. Transcripts were present from early plant growth through the seed-filling stage. However, VSP-b protein was only detected in vegetative tissue prior to seed-filling. The presence of transcript with the concomitant loss of the VSP-b protein at the seed-filling stage of the plant indicates increased instability of the storage protein at this time. This would suggest that maize is able to mobilize accumulated VSP storage protein to support seed development. If this hypothesis is correct, it has significant implications in the development of future maize varieties that are more efficient at nitrogen uptake and protein accumulation, and produce higher protein vegetative tissues, to increase silage quality, and higher protein seed to increase grain quality.