DISTRIBUTION OF NUCLEASE ACTIVITY, RNASE ISOENZYMES AND NUCLEIC-ACIDSIN AXES DURING GERMINATION AND EARLY GROWTH OF PHASEOLUS-VULGARIS L

During all stages of germination and early seedling growth, the nuclea se activity and nucleic acid content were generally highest in the plu mule and root tip region. The nucleases in the different regions of th e axis had distinctive substrate preferences, which changed greatly as germination and growth proceeded. The respective regions contained th e same RNase isoenzymes, of which the relative activities varied accor ding to location. Nucleases from the individual subcellular locations had unique specificities and RNase isoenzyme compositions. Three diffe rent RNase isoenzymes were located subcellularly, of which one was com mon to all subcellular fractions.