Protein changes during oat leaf senescence

Protein changes during in situ and in vitro senescence of the first leaf of 8-day old seedlings of Avena sativa cv. Victory have been examined. Senescence was induced by placing either intact seedlings or by floating the apical 3 cm-long leaf segments on water, in dark at 27 C for 0 to 4 days. Total protein content and chlorophyll content declined steadily during senescence. Rate of amino acid uptake, studied with 14C-B-alanine, declined sharply. Rate of protein synthesis decreased during the first 24 h during in vitro, and 48 h during in situ senescence. Thereafter, the rate increased sharply. At the end of 4 days the rate of protein synthesis had again declined in case of in vitro senescence but remained high in case of in situ senescence. Large changes in protein patterns, as shown by 1-D and 2-D PAGE, also occurred during senescence. Major changes in the population of translatable mRNAs that occur during in situ and in vitro senescence will be compared and discussed