Distribution of vegetative storage proteins in Rosaceae

Abstract

The distribution pattern of vegetative storage proteins is reported for the first time for 18 species and 2 varieties of twelve genera of Rosaceae. Vegetative storage proteins were present in all the species studied of Prunoideae and absent in Maloideae. Their occurrence in a genus seemed to be either universal or entirely absent. Rosaceae trees were poor in vegetative storage proteins and the form of vegetative storage proteins was not protein body-like. Granular and floccular forms of vegetative storage proteins could be distinguished exclusively in the secondary phloem parenchyma cells and their distribution was cell-specific. Our results suggest that the distribution of vegetative storage proteins in Rosaceae can be considered as a taxonomically diagnostic feature. The nature of the bark proteins with seasonal changes in apple trees is discussed.