L C Stillman | PubMed Health

PubMed1978

Protoheme extraction from plant tissue.

A method for reproducibly estimating the protoheme content of plant tissues has been developed. The tissue sample is homogenized in 80% acetone to remove pigments and lipids; protoheme is then extracted from the tissue residue with 2% HCl in acetone and quantitatively transferred into diethyl ether. After evaporation of the ether, the residue is dissolved in alkaline pyridine, and the protoheme concentration is estimated from a dithionite-reduced-minus-ferricyanide-oxidized spectrum. When compared to some other methods, this procedure gives consistently higher yields.

Acetone↗

PubMed1978

Characterization of protoheme levels in etiolated and greening plant tissues.

The protoheme content of etiolated, greening, and fully greened bean (Phaseolus vulgaris L. var. Light Red Kidney) leaves has been studied. The protoheme level in etiolated and fully greened leaf tissue stays relatively constant from age 7 to 14 days. In agreement with the studies reported for barley (Castelfranco and Jones 1975 Plant Physiol 55: 485-490), the protoheme content of greening bean and barley (Hordeum vulgare var. Larker) leaves does not change appreciably during the first 9 hours of illumination, but the level rises significantly by the 24th hour of illumination (cf. Hendry and Stobart 1977 Phytochemistry 16: 1545-1548). This increase also occurs in seedlings returned to the dark for 24 to 48 hours following a 10-minute pulse of light. These results demonstrate a limited correlation with previous studies on the development of b-type cytochromes during greening of these tissues (Gregory and Bradbeer 1973; Planta 109: 317-326).

Journal Article↗