ACID-PHOSPHATASE ISOFORMS IN DRY SEEDS AND DURING SEEDLING DEVELOPMENT IN BARLEY (HORDEUM-VULGARE)

The acid phosphatase activity in the soluble, membrane, and cell wall fractions from Hordeum vulgare in dry seeds and during seedling develo pment was investigated. The acid phosphatase activities were also assa yed in barley roots and coleoptiles at different developmental stages. Electrophoretic patterns of multiple acid phosphatases in seeds, endo sperms and embryos, and growing roots and coleoptiles are shown. The e nzyme activity shows a rapid decrease in both roots and coleoptiles du ring growth. Using nondenaturing polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis, m ultiple acid phosphatase forms were found in all the organs examined. However, no qualitative differences in the location of bands were obse rved between root and coleoptile extract at various stages of developm ent. The coleoptile cell wall fraction showed an acid phosphatase form characterized by a very low electrophoretic mobility that was not fou nd in the soluble fraction.