Leucine Aminopeptidase Activity in Tall and Dwarf Cultivars of Rice at Successive Stages of Development

Studies to determine the variations in leucine aminopeptidase (LAP) activity in tall and dwarf cultivars of rice were conducted by horizontal starch gel electrophoresis. The samples were taken at weekly intervals starting with soaked seeds (12 h) until the post-panicle stage. There is a distinct pattern of LAP isoenzymes in tall and dwarf cultivars studied. Some isoenzymes appear at a particular developmental stage and others disappear while some remain fairly constant once they are formed. A tall cultivar (Hansraj) shows greater fluctuations during the course of development than the dwarf cultivars. These studies throw light on the transitory nature of these enzymes and show apparently differential gene action.