Effect of germination on the ribonucleic acids (RNA) of some legume seeds (Vicia faba, Cicer arietinum and Lupinus termes)

The present study was carried out in order to evaluate some Egyptian legume seeds (Vicia faba, Cicer arietinum and Lupinus termes) as raw and germinated foods, as sources of plant proteins. The work was extended to study the changes of nucleic acids (28S RNA, 18S RNA, 16S RNA, 5.8S RNA, 5S RNA, 4.5S RNA and tRNA) content and distribution during 1 week of germination using HPLC and electrophoresis techniques. The results are summarised as follows. (1) The RNAs from the first day of germination of seeds and roots were separated into five major types: 28/18S RNA, 16S RNA, 5.8S RNA, 5S RNA and tRNA. (2) The RNAs at the seventh day of germination in both seeds and roots are 16S RNA, 5S RNA, 4.5S RNA and tRNA, in addition to two degradation regions in the range of 28/18S RNA and tRNA. Also, appearance of new RNA (mainly 4.5S RNA, a chloroplast RNA) and disappearance of 5.8S RNA, which was present at the first day of germination, were as expected after 7 days of germination. (3) The 24 h germinated seeds have a mature and complete set of the RNA species which means that the synthesis of these RNA species already occurred during the first 24 h of imbibition. (4) A new buffer system for separating the total RNA into their species, 28/18S RNA, 5S RNA and tRNA by the HPLC technique, is also reported.