A survey of proteinases active during meiotic development

Microsporogenesis in Lilium longiflorum Thunb. is a naturally synchronous p rocess and affords a system in which to study stage-specific events of meio sis and anther development. Zymogram gel analyses were conducted with extra cts from a variety of stages of anther development to identify proteinases which likely play roles in anther metabolism. These experiments revealed th at several proteinases are present at different stages of anther developmen t, and class-specific inhibitors were used to classify these enzymes. Prote olytic activities increased as anther development proceeded and these activ ities were temporally correlated with the apoptotic events which precede de hiscence, as well as with events crucial for the maturation of viable polle n.