Vacuole proteins in parenchyma cells of secondary phloem and xylem of Dalbergia odorifera

Abstract

Summary. Light-and electron-microscopic observations were made on the stem parenchyma cells of Dalbergia odorifera T. Chen (Papilionaceae), a tropical deciduous tree. In the secondary phloem of branchlet and trunk, all of the parenchyma cells except companion cells contain vacuole proteins. Only the outer secondary xylem of branchlets, but not trunk secondary xylem, has proteins in the ray parenchyma and the vasicentric parenchyma. The xylem vacuole proteins begin to accumulate at the end of the growing period and they disappear after the first flush of growth in spring. The vacuole proteins in phloem cells, particularly in the cells near the cambium, also show seasonal fluctuations. Under the electron microscope, the vacuole proteins appear as fibrous materials in aggregation or in more or less even dispersion, and they occur in the large central vacuoles during both the growth and dormant periods. According to the published studies, the stem storage proteins in the temperate trees appear as small protein-storage vacuoles or protein bodies, and the proteins in the tropical trees occur in large central vacuoles. This distinction is assumed to be related to the differences in the nature of dormancy between temperate and tropical trees.

Changes of peroxidase, esterase isozyme activities and some cell inclusions in regenerated vascular tissues after girdling inBroussonetia papyrifera (L.) Vent

“…These grains stained blue with TBO. Morphologically they looked like vacuole protein (Hao and Wu 1993), but they stained redpurple with PAS reaction, and were not anisotropic as seen under the polarizing microscope (Fig. 2 C).…”

Vegetative Storage Protein with Trypsin Inhibitor Activity Occurs in Sapindus mukorassi, a Sapindaceae Deciduous Tree

“…However, all of the identified VSPs so far in temperate trees are not bioactive, suggesting that there may be few VSPs with special bioactivities in temperate trees. VSPs are also found in many tropical trees (Wu and Hao 1986, 1991; Hao and Wu 1993; Tian et al 1998, 2003; Tian and Hu 2004). In contrast to the VSPs in temperate trees, we recently characterize the 22 kDa VSP in L. chinesis , a subtropical evergreen tree species, to be a Kunitz trypsin inhibitor (Tian et al 2007).…”

“…Although evergreen trees are generally poor in VSPs (Wetzel and Greenwood 1991; Wetzel et al 1991; Roberts et al 1991; Arora et al 1992), lychee ( Litchi chinensis ), a subtropical evergreen fruit tree, was recently demonstrated to be rich in a 22 kDa VSP with trypsin inhibitor activity (Tian et al 2007). VSPs are commonly found in abundance in many temperate deciduous trees (for review, see Stepien et al 1994) and tropical deciduous trees (Wu and Hao 1986, 1991; Hao and Wu 1993; Tian et al 1998, 2002, 2003; Tian and Hu 2004). The best‐characterized VSP in deciduous trees is the 32 kDa protein in poplar (for review, see Stepien et al 1994).…”

Characteristics of protein-storing cells associated with a 67 kDa protein in Hevea brasiliensis

“…It is also noticeable that these cells show no specialization for protein accumulation and they remain a starch storage place, which is characteristic of ordinary parenchyma cells. The PSCs in Meliaceae trees (Wu and Hao 1991) and the leguminous tree Dalbergia odorifera (Hao and Wu 1993) are other examples which have the same characteristics as the PSCs in poplar. In addition, the VSPs identified in most of the trees including poplar have a molecular mass range of 15 ± 45 kDa (Stepien et al 1994) which is much less than Hevea 67 kDa VSP.…”