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Ultrastructural studies of the binding of concanavalin A to the plasmalemma of higher plant protoplasts

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Summary

The binding of concanavalin A to the plasmalemma of higher plants has been studied using protoplasts of two species. The lectin aggregates both tobacco (Nicotiana tabacum L.) leaf protoplasts and protoplasts prepared from a suspension cell culture of grapevine (Vitis vinifera L.). Differences in lectin binding have been investigated using concanavalin A conjugated to ferritin or bound to colloidal gold. Tobacco protoplasts exhibit continuous and saturated labelling of the plasmalemma surface with gold-concanavalin A mixtures. Vine protoplasts under the same conditions show a discontinuous and patchy distribution of label. These results are discussed in terms of a possible binding mechanism.

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Abbreviations

ConA:

concanavalin A

PBS:

Phospholi Buffered Saline

PEG:

polyethylene glycol

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. John Innes Institute, Colney Lane, NR4 7UH, Norwich, UK

    J. Burgess & P. J. Linstead

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  1. J. Burgess
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  2. P. J. Linstead
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Burgess, J., Linstead, P.J. Ultrastructural studies of the binding of concanavalin A to the plasmalemma of higher plant protoplasts. Planta 130, 73–79 (1976). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00390847

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00390847

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