Biochemical changes associated with Brassica juncea seed development, II: Glycosidases

Changes in alpha- and beta-galactosidase, glucosidase, and alpha-mannosidase and beta-xylosidase activities were analyzed in developing mustard (Brassica juncea) seed. A cubic polynomial described the seed dry weight data adequately. A close parallelism between the water content and dry matter accumulation was shown (r = 0.991). Glycosidase activities were detected in both cytoplasmic and wall fractions. The trend was similar in both of the fractions, but the activity of alpha-mannosidase and alpha-galactosidase was considerably greater in the wall-bound fraction. The water content and the activity of glycosidic enzymes showed a significant linear correlation (p < 0.001). The results suggest that glycosidases have an important role in cell wall loosening during mustard seed development.