AMINO ACIDS 



Trifolium hybridum 



T. pratense 



113 



T. repens 



200 



100 



60 6-5 70 



Vicia Faba 



V. sativa 



Glycine Soja 



Fig. 6-4. Electrophoretic mobilities of major seed globulins 

 (Daniellson, 1949). Reproduced from The Biochemical Journal, 

 with permission. 



In our comparison of the free amino acids of the seeds of 

 Baptisia species we have noted very consistent results within a 

 species and in fact quite similar patterns among all of the species 

 examined to date. Thus, if free amino acids vary greatly during de- 

 velopment as indicated and furthermore are easily affected by the 

 environment, as indicated, the seeds at least provide a rather stable 

 base for the analysis of developmental changes. We have found that 

 even the patterns of the free amino acids of the stem, leaves, and 

 flowers of Baptisia species are predictable and reliable although 

 quantitative differences certainly occur. The patterns of free amino 

 acids of the stem, leaves, and flowers are generally quite similar in 

 B. leucophaea (Fig. 6-3). 



Although most work has been devoted to single amino acids 

 it is now evident that a variety of peptides may exist, and these may 

 prove, eventually, of considerable taxonomic importance (Virtanen 

 and Matikkala, 1960; Wiewiorowski and Augustyniak, 1960; Carnegie, 

 1961). Aside from the tripeptide, glutathione, and a recently dis- 



5 It should be noted, however, that appropriate populational sampling for chroma- 

 tographic study should reduce the disadvantage of much of the individual variation which 

 might occur in nature. 



