The amino acid sequence of plastocyanin from Vicia faba L. (broad bean)

The amino acid sequence of plastocyanin from broad bean was determined. It consists of a single polypeptide chain of 99 residues. The sequence was determined by using a Beckman 890C sequencer and by dansyl-phenyl isothiocyanate analysis of peptides obtained by the enzymic cleavage of purified cyanogen bromide fragments. Some parts of the sequence depend on the results of Edman degradation of peptides for which amino acid analyses were not obtained. The evidence for one overlap is not strong.     

Amino acid sequence of a Bowman-Birk proteinase inhibitor from pea seeds

Trypsin inhibitors from winter pea seeds (c.v. Frilene) have been purified by ammonium sulfate precipitation, gel filtration, and anion and cation exchange chromatography and shown to consist of six protease inhibitors (PSTI I, II, III, IVa, IVb, and V). Their molecular weights were determined by electrospray mass spectrometry as 6916, 6807, 7676, 7944, 7848, and 7844 D, respectively, and the sequences of the first 20 N-terminal amino acid residues of these six inhibitors were found to be identical. The complete amino acid sequence of PSTI IVa was determined. This protein comprises a total of 72 residues and has 14 cysteines, all involved in disulfide bridges. Comparison of the sequence of PSTI IVa with those of other leguminous Bowman-Birk type inhibitors revealed that PSTI could be classified as a group III inhibitor, closely related toVicia faba andVicia angustifolia inhibitors.     

The amino acid sequence of a cereal Bowman-Birk type trypsin inhibitor from seeds of Jobs' tears (Coix lachryma-jobi L.)

The major trypsin inhibitor from seeds of Jobs' tears (Coix lachryma-jobi) was purified by heat treatment, fractional precipitation with (NH4)2SO4, ion-exchange chromatography on DEAE-Sepharose, gel-filtration on Sephadex G-75 and preparative reverse-phase HPLC. The complete amino acid sequence was determined by analysis of peptides derived from the reduced and S-carboxymethylated protein by digestion with trypsin, chymotrypsin and the S. aureus V8 protease. The polypeptide contained 64 amino acids with a high content of cysteine. The sequence exhibited strong homology with a number of Bowman-Birk inhibitors from legume seeds and similar proteins recently isolated from wheat and rice.     

The complete amino acid sequence of a subtilisin inhibitor from adzuki beans (Vigna angularis)

The complete amino acid sequence of a major molecular form of subtilisin inhibitor from adzuki beans (Vigna angularis) was established by manual analysis using 4-N,N-dimethylaminoazobenzene-4'-isothiocyanate (DABITC). Sequencing was performed on the peptides which were derived by digesting the inhibitor with lysyl-endopeptidase and Staphylococcus aureus V8-protease. The inhibitor consisted of 92 amino acid residues and the molecular weight was calculated to be 10,800. A minor form of subtilisin inhibitor was found, which lacked the amino-terminal 19 residues of the major one. Comparison of amino acid sequences revealed that the adzuki bean subtilisin inhibitors were 29-68% homologous in sequence to the inhibitors of so-called "potato inhibitor I family."     

The amino acid sequence of plastocyanin from spinach. (Spinacia oleracea L.).

The amino acid sequence of spinach (Spinacia oleracea L.) plastocyanin was determined. It consists of a single polypeptide chain of 99 residues and has a sequence molecular weight of 10415. The sequence was determined by using a Beckman 890C automatic sequencer and by the dansyl--phenyl isothiocyanate analysis of peptides obtained by the enzymic digestion of purified CNBr fragments. Overlap through the two methionine residues was not shown. Sedimentation equilibrium in the ultracentrifuge gave a molecular weight for spinach plastocyanin of about 9000, in contrast with the value of 21000 reported previously by Katoh et al. (1962).     

Purification and characterization of trypsin inhibitor from seeds of faba bean (Vicia faba L.)

A trypsin inhibitor from seeds of faba bean (Vicia faba L.) was purified to near homogeneity as judged by native-PAGE with about 11 % recovery using ammonium sulphate fractionation, ion-exchange chromatography on DEAE-cellulose and gel filtration through Sephadex G-100. The inhibitor had a molecular weight of 18 kD as determined by SDS-PAGE and Sephadex G-100. The inhibitor inhibited trypsin and chymotrypsin to the extent of 48 and 12 %, respectively. The inhibtion was of non-competitive type with dissociation constant for the enzyme inhibitor complex in the region of 0.07 mg·ml⁻¹. The inhibtor was stable between pH 4 and 5. It completely lost its activity when heated at 125 °C for 1 h or at 100 °C for 2 h. The inhibitor also lost its activity on exposure to 2-mercaptoethanol. Based on these properties, it could be concluded that Vicia faba trypsin inhibitor belongs to Bowman-Birk type of inhibitors, as it has molecular weight lower than generally observed for Kunitz type inhibitors.     

RNA metabolism and membrane-bound polysomes in relation to globulin biosynthesis in cotyledons of developing field beans (Vicia faba L.).

In cotyledon cells of developing field beans the RNA content per cell does not change in the second half of developmental period 2, whereas globulin biosynthesis continues. The constant RNA content per cell results from an equilibrium between RNA synthesis and degradation. All types of RNA are synthesized until the end of globulin biosynthesis, but poly(A)-containing RNA was preferentially labelled during maximum globulin formation. During stage 2 of seed development of poly(A)-containing RNA fraction represents a discrete peak in the 12--18-S region on agarose gels and corresponds to the peak of poly(A)-containing RNA isolated from polysomes. alpha-Amanitin inhibits selectively the labelling of poly(A)-containing RNA and concomitantly globulin formation. Translation of total poly(A)-containing RNA, free and membrane-bound polysomes in a cell-free wheat germs demonstrates that the globulins are preferentially produced on membrane-bound polysomes and that poly(A)-containing RNA includes the mRNA for both vicilin and legumin.     

The control of Aphis fabae Scop, on spring-sown field beans (Vicia faba L.)

Disulfoton or phorate granules or demeton-S-methyl, menazon and vamidothion sprays, applied once in early June as preventive treatments before heavy aphid colonies developed, gave good control of Aphis fabae Scop, on field beans. Phosalone gave relatively poor results and DDT was ineffective. Applications in June to crops sown in February and early March were made with minimal wheel damage to the crop and are known to be less harmful to bees than sprays at flowering time. Eradicant treatments with demeton-S-methyl and dimethoate sprays or with disulfoton or phorate granules on heavily infested plants during flowering were also effective, but menazon was less satisfactory. These eradicant sprays are likely to be harmful to bees, and wheel damage in late June reduced yield by 1–2 cwt/acre (125–250 kg/ha). Peak populations of 3000 aphids/plant in early July reduced yield by 6 cwt/acre (750 kg/ha) in one trial.     

Isolation and characterization of a proteinase inhibitor from marama beans

A protease inhibitor was purified from the African marama bean (Tylosema esculenturm). The inhibitor is present in large amounts, representing about 10.5% of the total protein. The molecular weight is slightly larger than soybean trypsin inhibitor and was estimated at 23,000 by SDS-gel electrophoresis or 24,500 by amino acid analysis. The amino acid composition was atypical of most other plant inhibitors with a cysteine content of only one or possibly two residues/mole and a blocked amino terminus. Inhibition studies indicated virtually no inhibition of chymotrypsin activity. Elastase, however, was inhibited to the same extent as trypsin, requiring about 2 moles of inhibitor for complete inhibition of the enzyme.     

Lectin from sainfoin (Onobrychis viciifolia scop.). Complete amino acid sequence

The complete amino acid sequence of a lectin from sainfoin ( Onobrychis viciifolia Scop . var. Eski ) has been determined by sequential Edman analyses of the intact protein and peptides derived from digests with trypsin and thermolysin. Peptides were purified by pH fractionation, by gel filtration, and by cation-exchange and reverse-phase high-performance liquid chromatography. Seven segments of continuous sequence, accounting for the entire protein, were aligned through sequence comparison with several homologous leguminous lectins to give the final structure. Sainfoin lectin monomer, a glycoprotein which contains a single polypeptide chain of 236 amino acid residues with a molecular weight of 26 509, has amino- and carboxyl-terminal residues of alanine and threonine, respectively. A single residue of cysteine, located at position 33, is the only sulfur-containing amino acid present. Asparagine-118 is the single oligosaccharide attachment site. At least two apparent allelomorphic forms of the protein, having valine or isoleucine at position 49 in equal amounts, were detected. The amino acid sequence of sainfoin lectin exhibits circular permutation relative to that of the homologous protein concanavalin A.