title: Enhanced expression of serine proteases during floral senescence in Gladiolus.
abstract: Programmed cell death during senescence in plants is associated with proteolysis that helps in remobilization of nitrogen to other growing tissues. In this paper, we provide one of the few reports for the expression of specific serine proteases during senescence associated proteolysis in Gladiolus grandiflorus flowers. Senescence in tepals, stamens and carpels results in an increase in total protease activity and a decrease in total protein content. Of the total protease activity, serine proteases account for about 67-70% while cysteine proteases account for only 23-25%. In-gel assays using gelatin as a substrate and specific protease inhibitors reveal the enhanced activity of two trypsin-type serine proteases of sizes 75 kDa and 125 kDa during the course of senescence. The activity of the 125 kDa protease increases not only during tepal senescence but also during stamen and carpel senescence indicating that it is responsive to general senescence signals.
authors.affiliation: Plant Gene Expression Lab, National Botanical Research Institute, Lucknow 226 001, India.
authors.forename: Abdul
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Azeez
authors.forename: Aniruddha P
authors.initials: AP
authors.lastname: Sane
authors.forename: D
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Bhatnagar
authors.forename: Pravendra
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Nath
mesh_terms: D017209:Apoptosis; D016922:Cellular Senescence; D035264:Flowers / Q000201:enzymology / Q000254:growth & development; D019684:Magnoliopsida / Q000201:enzymology* / Q000254:growth & development; D010940:Plant Proteins / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*; D012697:Serine Endopeptidases / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*; D015854:Up-Regulation
chemical_list: D010940:Plant Proteins; D012697:Serine Endopeptidases