APPLICATION TO PLANT-PROTEINS OF GEL-ELECTROPHORETIC METHODS

The present review describes the major extraction and gel electrophore tic procedures available for the study of plant proteins. Firstly, som e technical considerations are made about the extraction of plant prot eins, which necessitates special precautions due to the presence in pl ant cells of several substances that may readily and severely alter th e integrity of the proteins extracted. After a brief discussion on the utility of gel electrophoresis for the study of plant enzymes involve d in plant growth and development, some of the most useful techniques available to study plant defense proteins are then described. Techniqu es allowing the specific detection of hydrolases acting on microbial c ell walls, in particular, are described in detail. The detection on ge ls of some inhibitors involved in the resistance of plants to insect p ests is also considered.