BIOCHEMICAL AND CYTOLOGICAL STUDIES DURING SEED DEVELOPMENT IN SOMACLONES OF LATHYRUS-SATIVUS

Soluble proteins in six somaclones and the parent at three different s tages of development of Lathyrus sativus seeds showed polypeptides of mol wts ranging from 20-165 kD on SDS-PAGE. Immature seeds showed eigh t distinct esterase bands and two peroxidase bands. Pattern for both t he enzymes among somaclones was almost similar. During maturation a ne w isoform of peroxidase with high mobility appeared in all the somaclo nes, while one new isoform of intermediate mobility was visible In som aclones Bio L-08 and Bio I-08. Cytological analysis of all the somaclo nes confirmed the stability of the chromosome count of 2n = 14. At met aphase I seven distinct bivalents and at anaphase I and lr univalents showing complements of the seven chromosomes were visible. No structur al or chromosomal aberration were observed among somaclones.