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Immunoflourescent Localization of RuBPCase in Degraded C₄ Grass Tissue

Dept. of Agrono and Soils, Auburn Univ., 36849

L. E. Moser, S. S. Waller and B. H. Kirch

Dept. of Agron.

T. J. Klopfenstein

Dept. Animal Sci., Univ. of Nebraska, Lincoln 68583

^* Corresponding author (mmiller{at}ag.auburn.edu).

Digestion-resistant tissues found in C₄ grasses may allow soluble protein to escape rumen degradation. The objective of this study was to use immunofluorescent localization to follow loss of ribulose 1,5-bisphosphate carboxylase/oxygenase (RuBPCase) from switchgrass (Panicum virgatum L.) and big bluestem (Andropogon gerardii Vitman) parenchyma bundle sheath cells (BSC) during rumen degradation. Fluorescent signal was observed from switchgrass and big bluestem BSC through 24 and 16 h in situ digestion, respectively, and from BSC associated with both intact tissue fragments, and isolated vascular bundles in omasal digesta and fecal material from steers (Bos tarus L.) grazing switchgrass. Immunofluorescent localization demonstrated that in certain C₄ grasses (i) parenchyma BSC can protect RuBPCase from degradation through 24-h in situ incubation, (ii) BSC containing RuBPCase can exit the rumen prior to degradation, and (iii) protein protected by BSC can escape degradation in the whole gastrointestinal tract and be excreted.

Received for publication February 24, 1995.