Stress and Protein Turnover in Lemna minor

Transfer of fronds of Lemna minor L. to adverse growth conditions or stress situations causes a lowering of the growth rate and a loss of soluble protein per frond, the extent of the loss being dependent on the nature of the stress. The loss or protein is due to two factors: (a) a decrease in the rate constant of protein synthesis (ks); (b) an increase in the rate constant of protein degradation (kd). In plants adapted to the stresses, protein synthesis increases and the initially rapid rate of proteolysis is reduced. Addition of abscisic acid both lowers ks and increases kd, whereas benzyladenine seems to alleviate the effects of stress on protein content by decreasing kd rather than by altering ks. Based on the measurement of enzyme activities, stress-induced protein degradation appears to be a general phenomenon, affecting many soluble proteins. The adaptive significance of stress-induced proteolysis is discussed.