Partial purification of sequestered particles of phytochrome from oat (Avenu sativa L.) seedlings

Sequestered particles of phytochrome (SAPs) were partially purified from red-light-irradiated oat coleoptiles. Phytochrome pelletability was enhanced by using buffers containing 10 mM Mg(2+) or high concentrations (0.6-0.8 M) of orthophosphate (Pi). Combining the pelletability of phytochrome in the presence of Mg(2+) with that in the presence of 0.6 Pi resulted in a strong enrichment (about 100-fold) of pelletable phytochrome. Antisera were raised against Mg(2+)-Pi-pellets from darkgrown seedlings. Using these antisera, no evidence was found by Western blotting and immunocytochemistry that SAPs contain major proteins other than phytochrome. The major contamination of these enriched SAP preparations consisted of protein crystals which are probably catalase. The preparations contained methyltransferase and protein-kinase activities which were not associated with SAPs. Phytochrome purified from SAPs served as a substrate for protein-kinase activity but not for the methyltransferase activity. Phytochrome itself did not show any kinase activity.