Abstract

The changes of RNA, DNA and protein in cotyledons and embryonic axis of germinating soybean seeds were studied. In the first two days, there was less low molecular weight proteins than was in subsequent stages. The small protein molecules increased after the 4th day of germination. During early stages of germination, the RNA content in cotyledons increased gradually from an initial amount of 30.78 mg to 39 mg on the 4th day, and then decreased. After 10th day, the RNA content decreased rapidly and on the 16th day it had decreased to 8.37 mg which is only 27.2% of its initial content. But the RNA content in embryonic axis had increased about 25-fold. The electrophoretic patterns of RNA in cotyledons change according to its stages of growth, but in embryonic axis there were no significant differences. Concomitant with development of embryonic axis an increase in DNA content. But in cotyledons the DNA content stayed at the same level except when chloroplasts were turning green at that time DNA increased slightly. The diversity of protein and RNA implies the complexity of their physiological regions.