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The seed lectins of black locust (robinia pseudoacacia) are encoded by two genes which differ from the bark lectin genes

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Abstract

Two lectins were isolated from Robinia pseudoacacia (black locust) seeds using affinity chromatography on fetuin-agarose, and ion exchange chromatography on a Neobar CS column. The first lectin, R. pseudoacacia seed agglutinin I, referred to as RPsAI, is a homotetramer of four 34 kDa subunits whereas the second lectin, referred to as RPsAII, is composed of four 29 kDa polypeptides. cDNA clones encoding the polypeptides of RPsAI and RPsAII were isolated and their sequences were determined. Both polypeptides are translated from mRNAs of ca. 1.2 kb encoding a precursor carrying a signal peptide. Alignment of the deduced amino acid sequences of the different clones indicates that the 34 and 29 kDa seed lectin polypeptides show 95% sequence identity. In spite of this striking homology, the 29 kDa polypeptide has only one putative glycosylation site whereas the 34 kDa subunit has four of these sites. Carbohydrate analysis revealed that the 34 kDa possesses three carbohydrate chains whereas the 29 kDa polypeptide is only partially glycosylated at one site. A comparison of the deduced amino acid sequences of the two seed and three bark lectin polypeptides demonstrated unambiguously that they are encoded by different genes. This implies that five different genes are involved in the control of the expression of the lectins in black locust.

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Abbreviations

LECRPAs:

cDNA clone encoding Robinia pseudoacacia seed lectin

LoLI:

Lathyrus ochrus isolectin I

PsA:

Pisum sativum agglutinin

RPbAI:

Robinia pseudoacacia bark agglutinin I

RPbAII:

Robinia pseudoacacia bark agglutinin II

RPsAI:

Robinia pseudoacacia seed agglutinin I

RPsAII:

Robinia pseudoacacia seed agglutinin II

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Laboratory for Phytopathology and Plant Protection, Katholieke Universiteit Leuven, Willem de Croylaan 42, 3001, Leuven, Belgium

    Els J. M. Van Damme & Willy J. Peumans

  2. Laboratory of Cellular Biology, University Paul Sabatier, 35 Chemin des Maraîchers, 31062, Toulouse Cedex, France

    Annick Barre & Pierre Rougé

  3. Center for Human Genetics, Katholieke Universiteit Leuven, Herestraat 49, 3001, Leuven, Belgium

    Fred Van Leuven

Authors
  1. Els J. M. Van Damme
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  2. Annick Barre
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  3. Pierre Rougé
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  4. Fred Van Leuven
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  5. Willy J. Peumans
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Van Damme, E.J.M., Barre, A., Rougé, P. et al. The seed lectins of black locust (robinia pseudoacacia) are encoded by two genes which differ from the bark lectin genes. Plant Mol Biol 29, 1197–1210 (1995). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00020462

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