Effect of calcium ions on protein composition in germinating maize seeds

The changes of individual protein fractions in the initial periods of seed germination (24 h, 48 h and 72 h) were studied in maize endosperm and coleoptiles in connection with the influence of calcium ions on endosperm proteins degradation. It was found that during germination the quantity of soluble proteins in maize endosperm steadily increased and this increasing was expressed most significantly at 48-72 h interval. No influence of calcium ions presence over this process was measured. On the contrary storage proteins quantities of endosperm diminished and riched minimal values at the same interval. The decreasing of endosperm storage proteins in treated with calcium ions seedlings was expressed more considerably, especially for the prolamin fraction. Any changes in component composition of endosperm soluble proteins isolated at 72 h from the beginning of germination after SDS-PAGE have been observed. The polypeptide profile of albumins plus globulins extracted from endosperm at 72 h was composed by 10-11 classes of polypeptides. Quantitatively predominated three polypeptide classes with molecular masses 28-32 kD, 58-64 kD and 90-96 kD.