Comparison of the in vitro translated polypeptides from maize shoot, pollen and germinated pollen mRNAs

We have compared the two-dimensional gel (2D gel) profiles of in vitro synthesised polypeptides from maize shoot with that of pollen, and the latter with that of germinated pollen. In the former comparison, extensive quantitative and qualitative differences in the polypeptides are apparent. We describe an increase in the abundance of the major cytoskeletal protein, alpha tubulin, in pollen compared to shoot. We also show that the electrophoretically separable alpha tubulin polypeptides in ungerminated pollen are not obviously post-translationally modified. In the comparison between the 2D gel profiles of the in vitro synthesised polypeptides from pollen and germinated pollen a number of notable differences are apparent, the possible origins of which are described.