ACRYLAMIDE GEL ELECTROPHORESIS OF SOLUBLE LEAF PROTEINS AND ENZYMES FROM NICOTIANA SPECIES

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Abstract
Acrylamide gel electrophoresis was used to compare the variation in proteins stainable with amido black and in certain enzymes (esterases, leucine aminopeptidase, and peroxidases) observed in leaf extracts of 6 Nicotiana spp., 4 genotypes of N. rustica, 2 N. tabacum var., and 3 ontogenetic stages of leaf development in 1 var. of N. tabacum. The 2 N. tabacum vars. did not display either protein or enzyme variability in the electrophoretic patterns, nor did the 4 genotypes of N. rustica. Each sp. showed a characteristic protein and enzyme pattern. A high degree of variability was observed among spp. and different ontogenetic developmental stages of leaves from the same spp. It is concluded that, due to variation in protein and enzyme patterns at different stages of development, leaf tissue is not an ideal material for comparing intraspecies homologies. If it is the only material available for analysis, comparisons must be made between tissues which are at the same ontogenetic stage of development. It is suggested that structural variation of functionally similar enzymes detectable on acrylamide gels, when considered in conjunction with genetic information, could provide a meaningful measure of homologies at the molecular level in evolutionary and taxonomic studies.