Related Experiment Video
Updated: Jun 25, 2026
07:43
Assaying Proteasomal Degradation in a Cell-free System in Plants
Published on: March 27, 2014
Hydrolases in vacuoles from castor bean endosperm
1Thimann Laboratories, University of California, Santa Cruz, California 95064.
Plant Physiology
|July 1, 1978
Summary
Castor bean seedling vacuoles contain hydrolytic enzymes and store sucrose. These vacuoles are key sites for breaking down stored proteins and fats in the endosperm.
Area of Science:
- Plant Cell Biology
- Biochemistry
- Molecular Biology
Background:
- Castor bean (Ricinus communis) endosperm is a rich source of stored nutrients.
- Understanding nutrient mobilization during germination is crucial for plant development.
Purpose of the Study:
- To isolate and characterize vacuoles from castor bean endosperm.
- To determine the role of these vacuoles in nutrient hydrolysis and storage.
Main Methods:
- Vacuole isolation from endosperm tissue of 4-day-old seedlings.
- Purification using a stepped sucrose gradient.
- Enzyme assays to assess organelle purity and hydrolytic enzyme activity.
Main Results:
- Highly purified vacuoles were obtained with minimal contamination from other organelles.
- Isolated vacuoles contained significant levels of hydrolytic enzymes (acid protease, RNAase, phytase, etc.).
- Vacuoles also contained storage proteins and high concentrations of sucrose.
Conclusions:
- Castor bean endosperm vacuoles are the primary sites for hydrolyzing stored protein bodies.
- These vacuoles serve as temporary storage compartments for sucrose derived from fat and protein reserves.
- Vacuoles play a critical role in nutrient mobilization during castor bean seedling development.
More Related Videos
11:49Sequencing of Plant Wall Heteroxylans Using Enzymic, Chemical (Methylation) and Physical (Mass Spectrometry, Nuclear Magnetic Resonance) Techniques
Published on: March 24, 2016
10:26Elucidating β-1,3-Glucanase and Peroxidase Physicochemical Properties of Wheat Cell Wall Defense Mechanism Against Diuraphis noxia Infestation
Published on: July 26, 2024
Related Concept Videos
01:15Hydrolysis
Overview
Hydrolysis is a chemical reaction in which the addition of water breaks down a polymer into its simpler monomer units. For example, peptides break into amino acids, carbohydrates into simple sugars, and DNA into nucleotides. Enzymes often facilitate these processes.
Hydrolysis Reverses Dehydration Synthesis
Complex carbohydrates can be broken down by breaking the bonds between individual sugar units. The reaction breaks a glycosidic bond as water is added to the compound. The...
Hydrolysis is a chemical reaction in which the addition of water breaks down a polymer into its simpler monomer units. For example, peptides break into amino acids, carbohydrates into simple sugars, and DNA into nucleotides. Enzymes often facilitate these processes.
Hydrolysis Reverses Dehydration Synthesis
Complex carbohydrates can be broken down by breaking the bonds between individual sugar units. The reaction breaks a glycosidic bond as water is added to the compound. The...
01:46The Apoplast and Symplast
Plant growth depends on its ability to take up water and dissolved minerals from the soil. The root system of every plant is equipped with the necessary tissues to facilitate the entry of water and solutes. The plant tissues involved in the transport of water and minerals have two major compartments - the apoplast and the symplast. The apoplast includes everything outside the plasma membrane of living cells and consists of cell walls, extracellular spaces, xylem, phloem, and tracheids. The...
01:28Maturation of Endosomes
The early endosome containing internalized molecules matures through transformations in its location, morphology, intraluminal pH, and membrane protein composition. Together, these changes result in a more acidic late endosome that contains multiple intraluminal vesicles; therefore, the late endosome is also called a multivesicular body (MVB).
Changes in location
The maturing endosome moves along microtubules from the periphery of the cell towards the perinuclear region. This movement of the...
Changes in location
The maturing endosome moves along microtubules from the periphery of the cell towards the perinuclear region. This movement of the...
01:31Lysosomes
Lysosomes are membrane-enclosed spherical sacs derived from the Golgi apparatus. The most important function of the lysosome is degrading macromolecules and biological polymers that are released during membrane trafficking events such as the secretory, endocytic, autophagic, and phagocytic pathways. The degradation is carried out by several hydrolytic enzymes active in an acidic environment of the lysosomal lumen. These acid hydrolases are involved in cellular processes such as cell signaling,...
01:22Lysosomal Hydrolases
Lysosomes are the site for the degradation of macromolecules and biological polymers released during membrane trafficking events such as secretory, endocytic, autophagic, and phagocytic pathways. The membrane-enclosed area of the lysosome, called the lumen, contains hydrolytic enzymes active in an acidic environment. These acid hydrolases are functional at a pH between 4.5 and 5 and are involved in cellular processes such as cell signaling, energy metabolism, restoration of the plasma membrane,...
01:30ATP Driven Pumps III: V-type Pumps
V-type pumps are ATP-driven pumps found in the vacuolar membranes of plants, yeast, endosomal and lysosomal membranes of animal cells, plasma membranes of a few specialized eukaryotic cells, and some prokaryotes. They are also known as the V1Vo-ATPase, that couple ATP hydrolysis to transport protons against a concentration gradient.
The peripheral or cytosolic V1 domain with eight subunits is involved in ATP hydrolysis. The integral or transmembrane V0 domain containing at least five subunits...
The peripheral or cytosolic V1 domain with eight subunits is involved in ATP hydrolysis. The integral or transmembrane V0 domain containing at least five subunits...