CELL FREE SYNTHESIS OF SOME STORAGE PROTEIN SUBUNITS BY POLYRIBOSOMES AND RNA ISOLATED FROM DEVELOPING SEEDS OF PEA (PISUM-SATIVUM-L)

Polyribosomes which have template activity in the wheat germ system were isolated from developing pea seeds. Some of the translation products have identical mobilities to the vicilin and legumin subunits by SDS-PAGE [sodium dodecyl polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis]. Certain products were specifically immunoprecipitated with antisera prepared against purified vicilin and legumin fractions. Various RNA fractions including poly A-rich RNA have also been isolated from polyribosomes and shown to direct the synthesis of polypeptides whose properties are similar to the storage protein subunits. The results are discussed relation to other investigations with seed storage protein biosynthesis in vitro.