Ontogenic changes in enzymes of carbon metabolism in relation to carbohydrate status in developing mungbean reproductive structures

The content of free sugars and the activities of enzymes involved in carbon metabolism-sucrose synthase, acid and alkaline invertase, phosphoenol pyruvate carboxylase, malic enzyme and isocitrate dehydrogenase were determined during seed development in mungbean pods. A decrease in carbohydrate content of pod wall from 10 to 25 days after flowering (DAF) and a concomitant increase in the seed till 20 DAF was observed. Sucrose remained the dominant soluble sugar in the pod wall and seed. In the branch of inflorescence and pod wall, the activities of sucrose metabolizing enzymes, viz. acid and alkaline invertase, sucrose synthase (synthesis and cleavage) and sucrose phosphate synthase were higher at 5-10 DAF, whereas in seed the maximum activities of these enzymes were observed at the time of maximum seed filling stage (10-20 DAF). High activities of sucrose synthase at the time of rapid seed filling can be correlated to its sink strength. Higher activities of phosphoenol pyruvate carboxylase in the branch of inflorescence and pod wall than in seed may indicate the involvement of the fruiting structure for recapturing respired CO2. High activities of isocitrate dehydrogenase and malic enzyme in the seed at the time of rapid seed filling could provide NADPH and carbon skeletons required for the synthesis of various seed reserves. (C) 2000 Elsevier Science Ltd. All rights reserved.