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A lectin and a lectin-related protein are the two most prominent proteins in the bark of yellow wood (Cladrastis lutea).

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Abstract

Using a combination of cDNA cloning and protein purification it is demonstrated that bark of yellow wood (Cladrastis lutea) contains two mannose/glucose binding lectins and a lectin-related protein which is devoid of agglutination activity. One of the lectins (CLAI) is the most prominent bark protein. It is built up of four 32 kDa monomers which are post-translationally cleaved into a 15 kDa and a 17 kDa polypeptide. The second lectin (CLAII) is a minor protein, which strongly resembles CLAI except that its monomers are not cleaved into smaller polypeptides. Molecular cloning of the Cladrastis lectin family revealed also the occurrence of a lectin-related protein (CLLRP) which is the second most prominent bark protein. Although CLLRP shows sequence homology to the true lectins, it is devoid of carbohydrate binding activity. Molecular modelling of the three Cladrastis proteins has shown that their three-dimensional structure is strongly related to the three-dimensional models of other legume lectins and, in addition, revealed that the presumed carbohydrate binding site of CLLRP is disrupted by an insertion of three extra amino acids. Since it is demonstrated for the first time that a lectin and a noncarbohydrate binding lectin-related protein are the two most prominent proteins in the bark of a tree, the biological meaning of their simultaneous occurrence is discussed.

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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. Department of Immunology and Molecular Immunophysiology, Institut Pasteur, 25 Rue du Dr. Roux, 75724, Paris Cedex 15, France

    Veronique Bemer

  4. Center for Human Genetics, Katholieke Universiteit Leuven, herestraat 49, 3001, Leuven, Belgium

    Fred Van Leuven

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  1. Els J. M. Van Damme
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  2. Annick Barre
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  3. Veronique Bemer
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  4. Pierre Rougé
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  5. Fred Van Leuven
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  6. Willy J. Peumans
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Van Damme, E.J.M., Barre, A., Bemer, V. et al. A lectin and a lectin-related protein are the two most prominent proteins in the bark of yellow wood (Cladrastis lutea).. Plant Mol Biol 29, 579–598 (1995). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00020986

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