Comparisons of protein composition between juvenile and adult organs of olive trees were made by SDS-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis analysis. Plant material included leaves, bark and bud tissues obtained from juvenile and adult organs within the same plant as well as from separate plants of both the same and different genetic origin. The amount of protein loaded onto the gels was standardized by adjusting the volume of the extract applied to the gel. The protein population of both juvenile and adult tissue from the same or separate trees was qualitatively similar but at least one group of 29 kDa polypeptides, is more abundant in the juvenile leaf tissues. In contrast, a protein group of 35 kDa is more strongly expressed in the adult tissue. Similar relations between the proteins of juvenile and adult tissues were obtained in various cultivars of different genetic origin. Thus, differences in protein composition between juvenile and adult tissues, although only quantitative, are consistent across genotypes. Although, some protein groups, e.g. 63 kDa might be clone-specific some other protein groups also differ quantitatively between adult and juvenile tissues but to a lesser extent.

14 pages, 8 figures, 25 references.

Peer reviewed