Characterization and temperature regulation of soluble proteins of a male sterile tomato mutant.

The soluble proteins of the normal and male-sterile stamenless-2 (sl-2/sl-2) mutant of tomato (Lycopersicon esculentum) grown in different temperatures were analyzed by one- and two-dimensional sodium dodecyl sulfate-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis. The normal and mutant stamens had some common proteins, but certain proteins were either present or more enriched in one genotype than in the other. The other floral organs of the normal and mutant showed no major differences in proteins, suggesting that the sl-2/sl-2 allele is active primarily in anther development. Normal and mutant stamens grown in high temperatures were enriched in some proteins in comparison to the intermediate temperatures. At low temperatures, the protein pattern of normal and mutant stamens was essentially similar.