Journal of Experimental Botany, Vol 49, 1163-1171, Copyright © 1998 by Oxford University Press
P Wittich and D Vreugdenhil
Sucrose synthase is usually localized by immunocytochemistry, but this
method does not show the actual activity of the localized enzyme. A
histochemical assay is presented here showing the activity of sucrose
synthase by tetrazolium salt precipitation on sections of developing maize
kernels. The advantages of the assay are a high sensitivity for low amounts
of active sucrose synthase and the independence of specific antibodies.In
this study the activity of endosperm sucrose synthase is shown to move
gradually from the apical part of the endosperm to the basal endosperm
during kernel development. This shift in sucrose synthase activity
correlates well with the localization of starch synthesis during kernel
development. The assay also shows the early loss of activity in the
aleurone layer bordering the embryo, and a loss of activity in the apical
aleurone during the final stage of kernel development while the enzyme was
still found by immunocytochemistry. This is in contrast to a high sucrose
synthase activity in the epithelium of the scutellum, where hardly any
labelling was found with antibodies against maize sucrose synthase. Low
sucrose synthase activities were found in the pericarp and pedicel
parenchyma.Possible functions of the high and low activity patterns in the
developing maize kernels and differences between the enzyme assay and
immunocytochemistry are discussed.Keywords: Enzyme
histochemistry, kernel development, starch, sucrose synthase, Zea
mays.
ARTICLES
Localization of sucrose synthase activity in developing maize kernels by in situ enzyme histochemistry
Department of Plant Cytology and Morphology, Wageningen Agricultural University, Arboretumlaan 4, 6703 BD Wageningen, The Netherlands; Department of Plant Physiology, Wageningen Agricultural University, Arboretumlaan 4, 6703 BD Wageningen, The Netherlands; Corresponding author; e-mail: Peter.Wittich@algem.pcm.wau.nl
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