TRANSIENT OCCURRENCE OF LIPOXYGENASE AND GLYCOPROTEIN GP49 IN LIPID BODIES DURING FAT MOBILIZATION IN ANISE SEEDLINGS

The patterns of lipid-body proteins prepared at different stages of ge rmination from seedlings of anise (Pimpinella ansium L.) were investig ated. During the stage of fat mobilization, a set of proteins is synth esized de novo and transferred to existing lipid bodies. Analysis of t he protein constituents, detected either by protein staining, concanav alin-A/peroxidase staining or immunoreaction on Western blots showed t hree distinct protein species: a lipoxygenase firmly integrated into t he lipid bodies, a glycoprotein gp50 only extractable from the lipid b odies by treatment with sodium dodecyl sulfate and a glycoprotein gp49 solubilized by diethyl-ether treatment of lipid bodies. Both the lipo xygenase immunodetected on Western blots and gp49 stained with concana valin-A/peroxidase conjugate occurred transiently in the lipid-body fr action, reaching maximum concentrations between days 6 and 13 of germi nation. This behavior was in contrast to the decreasing level of the 1 8.4-kDa oleosin already present at the beginning of germination.