PROTEIN PRENYLATION IN SPINACH - TISSUE-SPECIFICITY AND GREENING-INDUCED CHANGES

Etiolated spinach seedlings, as well as petioles and blades of leaves of green seedlings, were labeled with [H-3]mevalonate to study protein prenylation in several plant developmental stages. The polypeptide pr enylation pattern of the leaf petiole and the leaf blade differed cons iderably, although some prenylated proteins were present in both tissu es. During greening several prenylated polypeptides in the 30- to 46-k Da molecular mass region and two at 15 kDa became more abundant, while others in the 21.5- to 30-kDa region and one at 62 kDa showed a relat ive decrease. However, the relative amount of several of the prenylate d polypeptides did not appear to be altered during the greening proces s. In etiolated seedlings, more thioether-linked farnesol than geranyl geraniol was found, whereas in seedlings grown under normal light cond itions the converse situation prevailed. (C) 1997 Academic Press.