Maize mitochondria synthesize organ-specific polypeptides.
We detected both quantitative and qualitative organ-specific differences in the total protein composition of mitochondria of maize. Labeling of isolated mitochondria from each organ demonstrated that a few protein differences are due to changes in the polypeptides synthesized by the organelle. The synthesis of developmental stage-specific mitochondrial polypeptides was found in the scutella of developing and germinating kernels. The approximately 13-kDa polypeptide synthesized by mitochondria from seedlings of the Texas (T) male-sterile cytoplasm was shown to be constitutively expressed in all organs of line B37T tested. Methomyl, an insecticide known to inhibit the growth of T sterile plants, was shown to be an effective inhibitor of protein synthesis in mitochondria from T plants.
D004591:Electrophoresis, Polyacrylamide Gel; D007700:Kinetics; D008715:Methionine / Q000378:metabolism; D008928:Mitochondria / Q000378:metabolism*; D008970:Molecular Weight; D010452:Peptide Biosynthesis; D010940:Plant Proteins / Q000096:biosynthesis* / Q000302:isolation & purification; D010944:Plants / Q000378:metabolism*; D013462:Sulfur Radioisotopes; D003313:Zea mays / Q000378:metabolism
D010940:Plant Proteins; D013462:Sulfur Radioisotopes; D008715:Methionine