Protein-rich subceliular particulates were isolated by zonal centrifugation from homogenates of endosperms of normal, opaque-2, and floury-2 mutant corn (Zea maize) kernels at different stages of development. In early stages the high lysine mutants vary from normal corn by greater production of a glutelin protein not associated with the matrix. This protein is high in lysine and may become a component of matrix glutelin at later stages of maturity. Differences in size and structure of zein-rich protein bodies were observed in the mutant strains when compared with normal corn. Enhanced production of nonmatrix glutelin as well as the reduction in synthesis of lysine-deficient zein is responsible for the improved lysine content of the mutant endosperms at early stages of development. hybrids (6, 9), while the fi mutant also exhibits a higher than normal methionine content (9). These differences have been attributed to a shift in the relative contents of protein classes in endosperm of mature grain. There is a decrease in the ratio of alcohol-soluble zein, which is deficient in lysine and tryptophan, to alkali-soluble glutelin, which contains moderate levels of those amino acids (4,6,7,10
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