title: Secondary cell-wall-specific glycoprotein(s) from French bean hypocotyls.
abstract: Specific labeling of secondary cell walls of tracheary elements and of xylary and phloem fibers has been observed when wheat germ agglutinin (WGA) and anti-WGA antibodies were used during ultrastructural studies of French bean (Phaseolus vulgaris L.) hypocotyls. In this report we demonstrate that at least part of this labeling is due to the presence of secondary cell-wall-specific glycoproteins. Three major novel glycoproteins with relative molecular weights of 55,000, 86,000, and 90,000, purified by means of WGA-Sepharose affinity chromatography, have been characterized. Their amino acid composition indicates that they are not the members of known classes of structural cell-wall proteins, since they contain no hydroxyproline, a lower level of glycine than seen in glycine-rich proteins, and very little proline. N-terminal sequences of all three proteins show no significant homology with other proteins. Antibodies were raised against electrophoretically pure 90-kD glycoprotein. These were used to localize this protein in secondary cell walls of xylem tracheary elements and in xylary and phloem fibers, i.e. in the same compartments where labeling with WGA has been observed. To our knowledge this is one of the first biochemical and ultrastructural demonstrations of secondary cell-wall-specific glycoproteins.
authors.affiliation: Division of Biochemistry, School of Biological Sciences, Royal Holloway and Bedford New College, University of London, Egham, Surrey, United Kingdom.
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Wojtaszek
authors.forename: G P
authors.initials: GP
authors.lastname: Bolwell
mesh_terms: D000918:Antibody Specificity; D002473:Cell Wall / Q000737:chemistry*; D002482:Cellulose / Q000378:metabolism; D007887:Fabaceae / Q000737:chemistry*; D018546:Hypocotyl / Q000737:chemistry*; D007150:Immunohistochemistry; D008562:Membrane Glycoproteins / Q000032:analysis* / Q000276:immunology; D037121:Plant Lectins; D010940:Plant Proteins / Q000032:analysis* / Q000276:immunology; D010946:Plants, Medicinal; D011485:Protein Binding; D014909:Wheat Germ Agglutinins / Q000378:metabolism
chemical_list: D008562:Membrane Glycoproteins; D037121:Plant Lectins; D010940:Plant Proteins; D014909:Wheat Germ Agglutinins; D002482:Cellulose