Skip to main content
NCBI home page
Plant Physiology logoLink to Plant Physiology
. 1972 Dec;50(6):655–659. doi: 10.1104/pp.50.6.655

Further Comparative Studies of Pectin Esterase in Relation to Leaf and Flower Abscission 1

Harold E Moline a, Clifford E LaMotte a, Carl Gochnauer a,2, Alan McNamer a
PMCID: PMC366210  PMID: 16658237

Abstract

The possible role of pectin esterase in abscission of bean and coleus leaves was re-examined using improved methods for its extraction. Its possible role in abscission of flowers of tobacco and leaves of soybean. cotton, mulberry, magnolia, and euonymus was also examined. In seven of the eight species, no detectable changes in abscission zone pectin esterase activities immediately preceded abscission. Therefore, pectin esterase probably plays no causal role in abscission in these species.

In coleus, activity in the abscission zone's distal portion decreased by one-half at most and remained unchanged in its proximal portion with abscission's onset. Also accompanying abscission in coleus was a decrease in the proportion of abscission zone pectin esterase extractable with 3 m sodium chloride at pH 7. These changes were not a general concomitant of senescence as they were not detected in the middle of abscising coleus petioles. Pectin esterase may play a role in coleus leaf abscission.

Full text

PDF
655

Selected References

These references are in PubMed. This may not be the complete list of references from this article.

  1. Holden M. Studies on pectase. Biochem J. 1946;40(1):103–108. doi: 10.1042/bj0400103. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  2. Holden M., Tracey M. V. The effect of fertilizers on the levels of nitrogen, phosphorus, protease, and pectase in healthy tobacco leaves. Biochem J. 1948;43(1):147–151. doi: 10.1042/bj0430147. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  3. Jansen E. F., Jang R. Binding of Enzymes to Avena Coleoptile Cell Walls. Plant Physiol. 1960 Sep;35(5):567–574. doi: 10.1104/pp.35.5.567. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  4. LOWRY O. H., ROSEBROUGH N. J., FARR A. L., RANDALL R. J. Protein measurement with the Folin phenol reagent. J Biol Chem. 1951 Nov;193(1):265–275. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  5. Lamotte C. E., Gochnauer C., Lamotte L. R., Mathur J. R., Davies L. L. Pectin esterase in relation to leaf abscission in coleus and phaseolus. Plant Physiol. 1969 Jan;44(1):21–26. doi: 10.1104/pp.44.1.21. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  6. Ratner A., Goren R., Monselise S. P. Activity of pectin esterase and cellulase in the abscission zone of citrus leaf explants. Plant Physiol. 1969 Dec;44(12):1717–1723. doi: 10.1104/pp.44.12.1717. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  7. Yager R. E. Possible Role of Pectic Enzymes in Abscission. Plant Physiol. 1960 Mar;35(2):157–162. doi: 10.1104/pp.35.2.157. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]

Articles from Plant Physiology are provided here courtesy of Oxford University Press

RESOURCES