A phaseolus mutation results in a reduced level of lectin mRNA

Summary The molecular basis of a lectin gene mutation in the Phaseolus vulgaris cultivar Pinto was investigated. Rocket immunoelectrophoresis studies showed that seed lectin is reduced approximately 40-fold in comparison to the normal Phaseolus vulgaris cultivar Contender. DNA gel blot studies using a lectin cDNA probe suggested that the Pinto and Contender varieties contain similar numbers of lectin genes, although qualitative differences were observed in the gel blot banding patterns. Hybridization of the lectin cDNA probe to gel blots containing normal and mutant embryo mRNAs produced a 1 kb mRNA band in both mRNA populations. However, the amount of lectin mRNA was reduced approximately tenfold in the mutant Pinto cultivar. Together, these findings suggest that the reduced seed lectin level is due, in part, to a reduction in seed lectin mRNA.Abbreviations mRNA messenger RNA - cDNA complementary DNA - SDS-PAGE sodium dodecyl sulfate polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis - BSA bovine serum albumin - kd kilodaltons - kb kilobases