Premium
Ribonuclease and Chlorophyllase Activities in Senescing Leaves
Author(s) -
Phillips D. R.,
Horton R. F.,
Fletcher R. A.
Publication year - 1969
Publication title -
physiologia plantarum
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.351
H-Index - 146
eISSN - 1399-3054
pISSN - 0031-9317
DOI - 10.1111/j.1399-3054.1969.tb07464.x
Subject(s) - ribonuclease , raphanus , senescence , phaseolus , chlorophyll , enzyme , biology , biochemistry , botany , rna , microbiology and biotechnology , gene
The activities of two enzymes, ribonuclease and chlorophyllase were investigated during the senescence of leaves. Ribonuclease activities were measured in primary leaves of Phaseolus vulgaris , and related to the levels of nucleic acid, protein and chlorophyll. Similarly, changes in chlorophyllase activity during senescence of leaves of Raphanus sativus were measured and related to chlorophyll. During senescence the levels of each enzyme as well as its respective substrate declined. Retardation of senescence, by excision of young tissue from intact plants or by treatment of detached leaves with cytokinins resulted in a maintainace of both the substrate and enzyme levels. It was concluded that high levels of ribonuclease and chlorophyllase activity are not linked directly with the degradation of RNA and chlorophyll during leaf senescence.