A correlation in plastid development and cytoplasmic ultrastructure with nuclear gene expression during seed ripening in soybean

Summary With greening of soybean embryos during seed ripening, increased granal stacking directly correlates with decreasing chlorophyll a/b ratios. However, the intergranal fret system that is normally observed in chloroplasts is minimally developed during embryogenesis. Transitions in chloroplast development were correlated with coincident transitions in cellular ultrastructure. Levels of chlorophyll a/b binding protein mRNAs decreased prior to chloroplast dedifferentiation to eoplast during seed maturation. This suggests that the availability of chlorophyll a/b binding proteins is essential for maintenance of thylakoid appression and stacking against derivative processes.