Cloning and characterization of the lectin cDNA clones from onion,shallot and leek |
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Authors: | Els J. M. Van Damme Koen Smeets Iris Engelborghs Helen Aelbers Jan Balzarini Arpad Pusztai Fred van Leuven Irwin J. Goldstein Willy J. Peumans |
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Affiliation: | (1) Laboratory for Phytopathology and Plant Protection, Katholieke Universiteit Leuven, Willem de Croylaan 42, 3000 Leuven;(2) Laboratory of Experimental Chemotherapy, Rega Institute for Medical Research, Katholieke Universiteit Leuven, Belgium;(3) The Rowette Research Institute, Aberdeen, UK;(4) Center for Human Genetics, Katholieke Universiteit Leuven, Belgium;(5) Department of Biological Chemistry, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, USA |
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Abstract: | Characterization of the lectins from onion (Allium cepa), shallot (A. ascalonicum) and leek (A. porrum) has shown that these lectins differ from previously isolated Alliaceae lectins not only in their molecular structure but also in their ability to inhibit retrovirus infection of target cells.cDNA libraries constructed from poly(A)-rich RNA isolated from young shoots of onion, shallot and leek were screened for lectin cDNA clones using colony hybridization. Sequence analysis of the lectin cDNA clones from these three species revealed a high degree of sequence similarity both at the nucleotide and at the amino acid level.Apparently the onion, shallot and leek lectins are translated from mRNAs of ca. 800 nucleotides. The primary translation products are preproproteins (ca. 19 kDa) which are converted into the mature lectin polypeptides (12.5–13 kDa) after post-translational modifications.Southern blot analysis of genomic DNA has shown that the lectins are most probably encoded by a family of closely related genes which is in good agreement with the sequence heterogeneity found between different lectin cDNA clones of one species. |
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Keywords: | Allium cDNA cloning lectin retrovirus inhibition |
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