Immunochemical Studies on Arachis hypogaea Proteins With Particular Reference to the Reserve Proteins. II. Protein Modification During Germination.

alpha-Conarachin and alpha-arachin are metabolized differently during germination. The amount of alpha-conarachin decreases without the appearance of antigenic intermediary compounds. alpha-Arachin retains its original antigenic structure and becomes more anodic during germination, but a number of intermediary proteins, differing widely in electrophoretic mobility, form up to 14 days germination. The electrophoretic shift of alpha-arachin, detectable after 1 day of germination, might be caused by progressive deamidation of glutamine and asparagine. Decreases in amide content of protein extracted after germination support the hypothesis and suggest that alpha-arachin provides the first source of ammonia to the new seedling.New antigenic proteins are synthesized in both roots and cotyledons during germination. Some appear organ specific, whereas others are identical in both the cotyledons and the roots. Appearance and disappearance of each new protein is unique with respect to period of germination and hence might correspond to specific events of germination.