Microbody transition in greening watermelon cotyledons Double immunocytochemical labeling of isocitrate lyase and hydroxypyruvate reductase.

Microbody transition during the greening of watermelon cotyledons (Citrullus vulgaris Schrad.) was studied by double immunocytochemical labeling of the glyoxysomal marker enzyme isocitrate lyase and the peroxisomal marker enzyme hydroxypyruvate reductase. In order to analyze the immunocytochemistry, developmental stages representing the glyoxysomal, microbodytransition and peroxisomal stages were chosen, taking into account the time course of enzyme activity and the amounts of the respective antigens. It was shown that during microbody transition, between 83 and 91% of all the tested microbodies contained isocitrate lyase as well as hydroxypyruvate reductase, which was significantly higher than in the glyoxysomal and peroxisomal stages of development. Comprehensive controls precluded labeling artifacts. Our results support the one-population hypothesis first proposed by Trelease et al. (1971, Plant Physiol. 48, 461-465).