Onset of Alcohol Dehydrogenase Synthesis during Microsporogenesis in Maize

During male gametophyte development the synthesis of several proteins occurs from transcripts of the haploid genome. Alcohol dehydrogenase (ADH1), a developmentally regulated protein, was chosen for study to determine the stage at which its synthesis was initiated and the pattern of its synthesis during microsporogenesis. The ability of ADH to reduce p-nitro blue tetrazolium chloride in situ was used as an indicator of enzyme activity. Maize strains heterozygous for adh1 were utilized to provide an internal control, 50% of the grains being adh1(+) and 50% being adh1(-). No ADH activity was detectable when tetrads were first formed after meiosis. Activity was initially detected soon after the tetrads began to break apart but before the microspores in the tetrads had completely separated. The transcription of the adh1 gene from the haploid genome must thus occur very soon after meiosis is completed. ADH activity increases at a constant rate thereafter until microspore mitosis when an increase in the rate takes place which lasts until generative cell division. Thereafter, there is a marked decrease in the rate of accumulation of ADH activity.