The Metabolism of Oat Leaves during Senescence

Abstract

The changes in chlorophyll and protein in senescing chloroplasts isolated from the first leaves of 7-day-old oat (Avena sativa) seedlings have been investigated. In darkness the chlorophyll in these plastids is highly stable, losing only 5 to 10% of its content after 7 days at 26 C. This result contrasts with the behavior of chlorophyll in intact leaves, in which about 80% of the pigment would have disappeared in that time. The protein is less stable than the chlorophyll, though more stable than in the leaf; probably a small amount of protease is present in the plastids. Some protein is also being synthesized in the chloroplasts along with its breakdown; gains of up to 38% in protein and 13% in chlorophyll were observed under different conditions. l-Serine, which actively promotes senescence in the leaf, has only a very slight effect on the chloroplasts, and kinetin antagonizes it. Kinetin also has a small but significant effect in preserving the protein from breakdown. Acid pH somewhat promotes the breakdown, both of chlorophyll and protein. A loss of chlorophyll and protein comparable to that occurring in the senescence of the leaf could not be induced in the chloroplasts by suspending them in malate, in cytoplasmic extract, or in any of a number of enzymes tested alone. Incubation with a mixture of four enzymes was the only treatment which approximated the senescent process in the leaf, causing 34% loss of chlorophyll at pH 5 and 40% loss of protein at pH 7.4, both in 72 hours.In white light, the chlorophyll and the carotenoids, but not the protein, disappear rapidly. This disappearance was shown to be prevented in an atmosphere of nitrogen or in air by a number of reducing agents, of which ascorbic acid was the most effective. It is, therefore, ascribed to photooxidation rather than to normal senescence.