| Abstract: | Plants of Pisum sativum L. raised from seed of an isogenic lineselected from cv. Greenfeast were grown under glasshouse conditions.The plant growth regulators naphthalene-acetic acid, benzyl-adenine,abscisic acid and gibberellic acid (GA3) were administered todeveloping fruits by daily injections into the pedicels of podsbetween 2 d and 32 d after full bloom, thereby spanning thetime of maximum protein synthesis. Changes were observed ingrowth rates and dry weights of pods at maturity. Total proteincontent per cotyledon increased in naphthalene-acetic acid,benzyladenine and abscisic acid treatments. Legumin increasedin response to naphthalene-acetic acid and benzyladenine whilevicilin increased in response to abscisic acid. The albumincontent was not affected. Gibberellic acid (GA3) caused no changesin total protein content or in levels of individual proteinfractions. The level of legumin was further increased by applicationof a one to one mixture of naphthalene-acetic acid and benzyladenine;this treatment also resulted in a marked increase in the albuminfraction but a considerable decrease in vicilin content. Theresults imply that hormones play a role in regulating proteinsynthesis and accumulation in Pisum. Key words: Hormones, Seed, Protein, Composition |
