Enolase activity was measured in clarified homogenates of various tissues during the life cycle of the castor oil plant (Ricinus communis L. cv Baker 296). The proportions of total activity due to the plastid and cytosolic isozymes were determined after separation by ion-exchange chromatography. The contribution of the plastid isozyme varied from more than 30% of the total at the midpoint of endosperm development to less than 1% in mature leaves and roots. During endosperm development, enolase activity increased to a peak coincident with the maximum rate of storage lipid accumulation, then decreased to nearly undetectable levels in the mature seed. Plastid enolase protein, measured using an enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay, increased in parallel with the increase in activity but decreased less rapidly and was still easily detectable in mature seeds.The developing endosperm of the COS2 has been used as a model system to study compartmentation of the glycolytic pathway in plants (reviewed in ref. 4). In this tissue, all of the glycolytic enzymes occur as distinct isozymes, present in both the cytosol and plastids. The results of surveys of other plant systems have, in essence, agreed with this model (7,13). Most research on the control ofglycolytic activity has addressed the acute, short-term regulatory properties of a few key enzymes: hexokinase, phosphofructokinase, and pyruvate kinase. There have been a few partial developmental analyses of glycolytic activity during COS maturation (3,8,17) clarified by centrifugation as previously described (11). In Ricinus, it is difficult to determine the precise date of pollination. Hence, a staging system was developed, based upon seed size, endosperm fresh and dry weights, percentage of total lipid, and seed coat morphology, similar to the system described for developing cotton seeds (14). For germinating endosperm, quiescent seeds were imbibed overnight in running tap water (day 0), then planted in trays containing vermiculite and placed in a glasshouse at 28°C and ambient light. To remove some pigments and to concentrate proteins, developing seedling tissues or organelle fractions were homogenized in 10 volumes of -20°C acetone, then centrifuged and the acetone decanted. The pellet was rehomogenized in 5 volumes of -20°C acetone and recentrifuged. The acetone powders were allowed to air dry in a fume hood and then stored desiccated at room temperature. Acetone powders were homogenized in a manner identical to that for native tissues, but in 10 volumes of buffer containing 2 mm DTT, 2 mM ascorbate, and 2% insoluble PVP. Low mol wt compounds were removed by centrifugation of samples of clarified homogenates through 2.5-mL bed volume columns of Sephadex G-25, previously equilibrated with homogenization buffer, set in conical Corex tubes. Enzyme assays, separation of the enolase isozymes, immunochemical analyses, and all other materials and methods have been previously described (1 1-13). The data for total endosperm enolase activity were analyzed using the curve-...