WATER-DEFICIT-RESPONSIVE PROTEINS IN MARITIME PINE

Two-dimensional polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis (2D-PAGE) was used to identify drought-responsive proteins during progressive water depri vation of two-year old maritime pine seedlings. Stress was applied by withholding water during vegetative growth. Needles were sampled befor e, during and after the stress. Out of about 1000 spots that were quan tified by computer analysis, 38 responded during stress. Some proteins were accumulated while others were suppressed. One to three internal microsequences were obtained for Il proteins, 10 of which were identif ied on the basis of sequence homologies. These proteins are quite dive rse and are involved in photosynthesis, cell elongation, antioxidant m etabolism and lignification.