title: Seed storage proteins of spermatophytes share a common ancestor with desiccation proteins of fungi.
abstract: The legumin- and vicilin-like seed storage globulins of spermatophytes are specifically accumulated during embryogenesis and seed development. Previous studies have shown that a precursor common to both legumin and vicilin genes might have evolved by duplication from a single-domain ancestral gene. We here report that amino acid sequences of legumin and vicilin domains share statistically significant similarity to the germination-specific germins of wheat as well as to the spherulation-specific spherulins of myxomycetes. This conclusion is further supported by the derived intron-exon structure of a spherulin gene. Spherulins are thought to be involved in tissue desiccation or hydration. It is suggested that the present-day seed globulins of spermatophytes have evolved from a group of ancient proteins functional in cellular desiccation/hydration processes.
authors.affiliation: Institute of Plant Genetics and Crop Plant Research, Gatersleben, Germany.
authors.forename: H
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Bäumlein
authors.forename: H
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Braun
authors.forename: I A
authors.initials: IA
authors.lastname: Kakhovskaya
authors.forename: A D
authors.initials: AD
authors.lastname: Shutov
mesh_terms: D000595:Amino Acid Sequence; D001483:Base Sequence; D019143:Evolution, Molecular; D005656:Fungal Proteins / Q000235:genetics*; D005658:Fungi / Q000235:genetics* / Q000378:metabolism; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D010940:Plant Proteins / Q000235:genetics*; D055314:Seed Storage Proteins; D012639:Seeds / Q000235:genetics* / Q000378:metabolism; D016415:Sequence Alignment; D000097793:Legumins
chemical_list: D005656:Fungal Proteins; D010940:Plant Proteins; D055314:Seed Storage Proteins; D000097793:Legumins; C015575:vicilin protein, plant