Differential Activity of four Selected Enzymes in the Pistils of two Members of the Family Bignoniaceae Gulshan Chaudhary*, Prem Kumar Dantu* # and Arvind M. Kayastha*,** # Abstract: In the present study two members of the family Bignoniaceae, Tacoma stans, a fruit bearing plant, and Pyrostegia venusta, a twine that does not bear fruits were chosen to study the activity of four enzymes, namely, peroxidase, acid phosphatase, polyphenol oxidase and esterase. The aim of the study was to understand if pollination with viable and non-viable pollen grains has any influence on the activity of the four selected enzymes in post pollinated pistils. T. stans produces viable pollen grains while P. venusta produces non-viable pollen grains. Seven developmental stages starting from anthesis till 12 hours of flower opening were identified for both the plants. Controlled pollinations were carried out in the two plants. Stigma of T. stans was pollinated with self pollen grains that were viable while P. venusta stigma received pollen grains that were non-viable. In T. stans the four enzymes peroxidase, acid phosphatase, polyphenol oxidase and esterase showed normal activity though peroxidase activity was comparatively subdued. In P. venusta, however, peroxidase showed hyper-activity while the other three enzymes, acid phosphatase, polyphenol oxidase and esterase were more subdued. The results have been discussed in the light of the available literature. Keywords: Peroxidase, Acid phosphatase, Polyphenol oxidase, Esterase, Tacoma stans, Pyrostegia venusta, Bignoniaceae. * Corresponding author: Prem Kumar Dantu, Plant Biotechnology Lab, Department of Botany, Faculty of Science, Dayalbagh Educational Institute (Deemed University), Dayalbagh, Agra 282110, India. E-mail: premdantu@gmail.com *,**# Arvind M. Kayastha, School of Biotechnology, Faculty of Science, Banaras Hindu University, Varanasi 221005, India. Tel: +91-542- 2368331, Fax: +91-542-2368693, E-mail: kayasthabhu@gmail.com I INTRODUCTION Development of fruits with healthy seeds is the culmination of the natural process of pollination and fertilization. Seeds are important for the plant for propagation of the progeny and for a breeder to assess the results of breeding while developing new cultivators. Members of Bignoniaceae are important garden plants because of their colourful showy flowers. The plants of this family are shrubs to small trees to woody climbers. Many of them such as Tecoma stans produce copious fruits and seeds through which they are propagated, while quite a few as Pyrostegia venusta do not bear fruits and so produce no seeds (Anonymous, 1976, 1988). Incidentally Pyrostegia is amongst the more beautiful genera and will be a breeders delight to produce new colours. Of the several reasons for not bearing fruits one important factor is that the pollination time and stigma receptivity may not be matching. In the present study two genera of Bignoniaceae, Tacoma stans and Pyrostegia venusta have been selected with respect to their fruit and seed bearing ability. T. stans, a bushy shrub has yellow flowers producing viable pollen grains and bears copious fruits and seeds. However, JOURNAL OF PROTEINS AND PROTEOMICS Vol. 1, No. 2, July-December 2010, pp. 71– 76 © International Science Press P. venusta is a woody climber orange flowers producing non-viable pollen grains and does not bear any fruits or seeds at Agra. Several studies (Shivanna and Sastri, 1981; Neog et al., 2004; McInnis et al., 2006; Page et al., 2006) have shown a close correlation in stigma receptivity and some key enzymes. However, it is to be seen whether non-viable pollen grains elicit similar enzyme activity in the pistils as viable pollen grains do. Thus, in the present study activity of certain enzymes viz., peroxidase, acid phosphatase, polyphenol oxidase and esterase in the post pollinated styles was compared in the two plants Tacoma stans and Pyrostegia venusta, former a fruit bearer and the latter a non-fruit bearer. II MATERIALSAND METHODS Studies on Tacoma stans and Pyrostegia venusta were carried out during November to February 2006-2007 in the Botanical Garden of the Dayalbagh Educational Institute, Dayalbagh, Agra. Defining Stages of Floral Development Seven developmental stages starting from anthesis till 12 hours of flower opening were identified for both the plants. These seven stages are: