Biochemical changes during regeneration of sunflower (Helianthus annuus L.)

The main developmental stages in Helianthus annuus organogenesis have been studied in the sunflower hybrid "Giove". Shoot regeneration was obtained with high efficiency from mature seed cotyledons. Two-dimensional electrophoresis of protein extracts as well as the isozyme patterns of acid phosphatase, alcohol dehydrogenase, esterase, gluconate-6-phosphate dehydrogenase and phosphoglucomutase were compared during growth, callusing and regeneration. Two-dimensional protein patterns were similar, although polypeptides specific for each developmental phase could be identified. Different 2,4-dichlorophenoxyacetic acid concentrations or the sampling of specific regions of the seed did not result in significant differences in protein patterns. The activity of alcohol dehydrogenase and phosphoglucomutase appeared very low. For gluconate-6-phosphate dehydrogenase no difference, related either to the genotype or to different morphological stages, could be observed; the expression of acid phosphatase varied in a nonsystematic fashion. The isozyme pattern of esterase was related to the genotype as well as to the morphogenic phase.