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Changes in the activities of carbon metabolizing enzymes with pod development in lentil (Lens culinaris L.)

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Abstract

Activities of some key enzymes of carbon metabolism sucrose synthase, acid and alkaline invertase, phosphoenol pyruvate carboxylase, malic enzyme and isocitrate dehydrogenase were investigated in relation to the carbohydrate status in lentil pods. Sucrose remained the dominant soluble sugar in the pod wall and seed, with hexoses (glucose and fructose) present at significantly lower levels. Sucrose synthase is the predominant sucrolytic enzyme in the developing seeds of lentil (Lens culinaris L.). Acid invertase was associated with pod elongation and showed little activity in seeds. Sucrose breakdown was dominated by alkaline invertase during the development of podwall, while both the sucrose synthase and alkaline invertase were active in the branch of inflorescence. A substantial increase of sucrolytic enzymes was observed at the time of maximum seed filling stage (10–20 DAF) in lentil seed. The pattern of activity of sucrose synthase highly paralleled the phase of rapid seed filling and therefore, can be correlated with seed sink strength. It seems likely that the fruiting structures of lentil utilize phosphoenol pyruvate carboxylase for recapturing respired carbon dioxide. Higher activities of isocitrate dehydrogenase and malic enzyme in the seed at the time of rapid seed filling could be effectively linked to the deposition of protein reserves.

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Abbreviations

DAF:

days after flowering

SS:

sucrose synthase

SPS:

sucrose phosphate synthase

PEP:

phosphoenol pyruvate

ICD:

isocitrate dehydrogenase

PCR:

photosynthetic carbon reduction

BI:

branch of inflorescence

PW:

podwall

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Biochemistry, Punjab Agricultural University, 141004, Ludhiana, India

    Jyoti Chopra, Narinder Kaur & Anil K. Gupta

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  1. Jyoti Chopra
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  2. Narinder Kaur
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  3. Anil K. Gupta
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Correspondence to Anil K. Gupta.

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Chopra, J., Kaur, N. & Gupta, A.K. Changes in the activities of carbon metabolizing enzymes with pod development in lentil (Lens culinaris L.). Acta Physiol Plant 25, 185–191 (2003). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11738-003-0052-x

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11738-003-0052-x

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