Multiple molecular forms of glutamine synthetase in pea seeds.

Multiple molecular forms of glutamine synthetase (GS, EC 6.3.1.2) have been studied in pea seeds of different varieties. The number of GS molecular forms in the seeds proved to be related to their colour. Two GS forms in the green seeds have been found and only one of them in the yellow seeds. Green seeds had chlorophyll content amounted to 0.4% of the total pigment content in the leaves. Chloroplasts, somewhat smaller than those in pea leaves of the same variety, have been isolated from green seeds. The presence of the second GS form in the pea green seeds we relate to the chloroplasts. By electrophoretic mobility both forms of GS from the green seeds are not identical to the chloroplast GS and the cytosol GS of leaves. Thus, we believe pea plant to contain, at least, four GS forms.