Isolation of legumin-like protein from Phaseolus aureus and Phaseolus vulgaris

An 11S seed globulin has been isolated from Phaseolus aureus and P. vulgaris by zonal isoelectric precipitation and the MWs of the constituent subunits determined. The protein of P. vulgaris occurs in the protein body fraction and its chemical composition, including the N-terminal amino acids and amino acid composition has been determined. The similarity between the 11S globulin of the two Phaseolus spp. and legumin from other leguines is discussed.     

Specific subunit pairs of legumin from Vicia faba

Four pairs of disulphide-linked acidic (α) and basic (β) subunits were isolated from legumin of Vicia faba. Pairing between α- and β-subunits is nonrandom, supporting the view that each subunit pair arises from a common precursor polypeptide, already containing intramolecular disulphide bonds, when cleavage to the subunit pair takes place. The subunit pairs belong to two structural types: type A contains Met, whereas type B lacks Met. In addition to these four subunit pairs, at least two more pairs are present in legumin in minor amounts.     

Immunochemical behaviour of legumin and vicilin from Vicia faba: a survey of related Proteins in the leguminosae subfamily faboideae

An antiserum specific for the legumin and vicilin of Vicia faba was used to examine extracts of seeds of taxa of the Fabeae and Trifolieae for the presence of related storage proteins, Proteins related to legumin were found to be widely distributed, indicating considerable conservation of the genetic information for this protein. Only Pisum sativum contained a protein immunochemically identical with the vicilin of V. faba; the equivalent proteins of all other genera tested here were immunochemically different from vicilin.     

Protein-polysaccharide linkages in glycoproteins from Phaseolus vulgaris

Serine and hydroxyproline participate in protein-polysaccharide linkages in hydroxyproline-poor glycoproteins from Phaseolus vulgaris cv Pinto. Most substituted hydroxyproline residues contain arabinose, galactose and glucose, but some have arabinose only. Serine residues contain arabinose, galactose and glucose.     

Vicilin from cajanus cajan seeds

Vicilin from pigeon pea (Cajanus cajan) seeds was purified and characterised. It has a M, of ca 180 000 and consists of two types of subunits having M,s of ca 72 000 and 57 000. The subunits are not linked by disulphide bonds. The vicilin of pigeon pea differs from that of Pisum or Vicia in the absence of small M, subunits.     

Globulin storage proteins of Glycine max

Disc electrophoresis of soybean storage globulins indicated four major components with molecular weights in excess of 300 000. Treatment with sodium dodecylsulphate (SDS) resulted in an increased number of components with an overall lower MW spectrum. Polypeptides, produced by the performic acid oxidation of the globulins, gave 8 bands when solubilized in 2.5 % NACl, but only 4 when solubilized in 0. 1 % SDS. Reasons for this reduction of subunit number are suggested. Preparative fractionation of the SDS-polypeptides on Sephadex G75 columns gave the same number of components, having a similar distribution and proportion.     

Legumin and vicilin,storage proteins of legume seeds

The structure, location in the seed and distribution of the storage protein of legume seeds are described. Methods which have been employed for the extraction, purification and characterisation of seed globulins are reviewed in relation to modern biochemical practice. The physical, chemical and immunological characteristics of the classical legumin and vicilin preparations from Pisum sativum are summarised and the distributions of proteins with sedimentation coefficients and/or immunological determinants similar to those of legumin and vicilin, are tabulated. The structure and composition of various purified legumin and vicilin-type proteins from a variety of legumes, are compared.     

Multiple forms of Vicia faba α-galactosidases and their relationships

Three highly purified α-galactosidases, I, II¹ and II² have been isolated from resting Vicia faba seeds. Form I (MW 160 000) is a tetrame     

A comparison of acid extracted globulin fractions and vicilin and legumin of Vicia faba

Two globulin fractions, obtained by extraction using acidic conditions, were characterized by their sedimentation properties, subunit compositions and     

Protection of polyribosomes by attachment to membranes and by diethylpyrocarbonate during their extraction from Vicia faba

It was shown that membrane-bound polyribosomes of developing cotyledons wore protected during extraction by their membrane attachment and by the presen     

Starch synthesis in isolated Phaseolus vulgaris chloroplasts

Isolated bean (Phaseolus vulgaris) chloroplasts were used to investigate the mode of synthesis of transitory amylose and amylopectin from ADP-glucose. Pulse chase experiments showed that labelled glucose in amylose decreased when chased with cold substrate as compared to controls. A significant portion of this decrease appeared in the amylopectin fraction indicating that amylopectin was formed from amylose. However, time course experiments showed that the rate of amytopectin synthesis is higher than that of amylose at the early stages of incubation, suggesting a certain degree of independent synthesis of the two fractions. High concentration of citrate increased the rate of amylopectin synthesis.     

Primary metabolites of Phaseolus vulgaris nodules

More ethanol soluble material (carbohydrate and amino nitrogen) was found in both host cell and bacteroid components of Phaseolus vulgaris nodules from plants grown at 28 W/m² than from plants grown at 7 W/m². The range of compounds identified was similar at the two irradiances. On feeding ¹⁴CO₂ to the plant tops at either irradiance the labelling patterns of carbohydrates and organic acids in the nodule host cells and bacteroids suggested that any or all of the following substances could be donated by the host to the bacteroids for general metabolism: sucrose, fructose, glucose, an unidentified carbohydrate, malic acid and an organic acid co-chromatographing with 6-phosphogluconate. Distribution and labelling patterns of nodule amino compounds were consistent with the hypothesis that ammonia is the primary product of nitrogen fixation within bacteroids, and that this ammonia is transported to host cells for assimilation, initially into glutamine and glutamate.     

Light control of periodicity of bleeding from roots of Vicia faba

The light control of the periodicity of bleeding sap was investigated, and it appears that the metabolic activity of the roots controls the exudation. Nitrite, nitrate, fructose, glucose and sucrose, various amino acids and some other unidentified compounds, were detected in the bleeding sap.     

Biosynthesis of 3,4-dihydroxyphenylalanine in Vicia faba

Radioactive shikimic acid and l-tyrosine were shown to be efficient precursors of 3,4-dihydroxyphenylalanine (DOPA) in Vicia faba. [1-¹⁴C]Acetate and l[U-¹⁴C]phenylalanine were not incorporated into tyrosine or DOPA. Thus the synthesis of DOPA occurs via the shikimic acid pathway and tyrosine or a very closely related metabolise. Phenolase was present in etiolated plants in much larger quantities after a brief light exposure whereas DOPA concentration was relatively constant during all stages of plant growth. Partially purified phenolase did not catalyze the conversion of tyrosine to DOPA and does not appear to have a role in DOPA synthesis.     

Nitrogen regime and isoenzyme changes in Vicia faba

Plants of Vicia faba were supplied either with fertilizer inorganic nitrogen or they received only nitrogen fixed by their root nodules. The esterase and transaminase isoenzyme profiles and the total water-soluble protein complement of seed cotyledons and of pollen did not vary irrespective of the N regime employed, whereas those of the leaf did. Possible causes and the implications of these differences are discussed.     

Cyclic nucleotide phosphodiesterase activity in Phaseolus vulgaris

Centrifugal fractionation showed that 70% of the cyclic nucleotide phosphodiesterase activity of Phaseolus vulgaris seedlings is recovered in the 1     

Arabinogalactan protein in the extracellular space of Phaseolus vulgaris hypocotyls

Most hydroxyproline in the soluble fraction (cytosol, extracellular fluid and the contents of ruptured organelles) of homogenized bean hypocotyls originated from arabinogalactan protein. Using a vacuum infiltration-centrifugation technique, we extracted hydroxyproline-containing compounds from the extracellular space, accounting for about 25% of hydroxyproline in the soluble fraction. The bulk of this material was soluble in 5% trichloroacetic acid and could be precipitated with β-Gal-Yariv reagent. Isoelectrofocusing of the extracellular solution showed a major hydroxyproline peak at low pH, and minor peaks at pH 5 and 9, respectively. We conclude that arabinogalactan protein accounts for most of the salt-soluble, extracellular hydroxyproline-containing compounds.     

Effect of diethylpyrocarbonate and sodium deoxycholate on polyribosomes from cotyledons of Vicia faba

Degradation of rRNA during the isolation of polyribosomes in the presence of either sodium deoxycholate or diethylpyrocarbonate gave breakdown products with MW corresponding to 1·13, 1·02, 0·93, 0·79, 0·61, 0·52, 0·44, 0·42, 0·30, 0·28, 0·24, 0·20 and 0·12 x 10⁶ daltons.     

Biosynthesis of the phytoalexin phaseollin in Phaseolus vulgaris

Feeding experiments in CuCl₂-treated French bean (Phaseolus vulgaris) seedlings have demonstrated that labelled 2′,4′,4-trihydroxychalcone, daidzein, 7,2′,4′-trihydroxyisoflavone, 3,9-dihydroxypterocarpan and phaseollidin are all good precursors of the pterocarpan phytoalexin phaseollin. These compounds represent a logical sequence in the biosynthetic pathway to phaseollin.     

Purification and specificity of RNase A3 from Vicia faba root cells

Vicia faba root ribonucleases are bound to Cibacron blue F3GA. A Blue dextran-Sepharose column was used to purify RNase A₃, the more abundant enzyme from V. faba root. Using dinucleoside monophosphate as substrates, it appears that this enzyme behaves as a cyclizing phosphotransferase. With high enzyme/substrate ratios on prolonged digestion a partial release of a nucleoside 3′ phosphate occurs. The specificity is relatively high since only the purine-purine phosphodiester linkages out of 16 types of possible links are easily cleaved. When a pyrimidine is involved in the phosphodiester bond, a much slower rate of attack (Py in 5′) or no attack (Py in 3′) was detected.