title: Two genes encoding fruit body lectins of Pleurotus cornucopiae: sequence similarity with the lectin of a nematode-trapping fungus.
abstract: Our previous studies on the fruit body lectin of Pleurotus cornucopiae revealed the existence of three isolectins, composed of two homodimers and one heterodimer of 16- and 15-kDa subunits. In this study, two genes encoding the lectins were cloned and characterized. Both genes encoded 144 amino acids and only 5 amino acids were different within the coding region, but the nucleotide sequences of the 5'-upstream and 3'-downstream regions differed extensively. Southern hybridization with gene-specific probes showed that one gene encoded the 16-kDa and the other encoded the 15-kDa subunit. Functional lectins were synthesized in Escherichia coli under the direction of these genes. On SDS-PAGE, the recombinant lectins showed the same banding patterns as the native lectins. In amino acid sequence, these lectins showed extensive similarity with the lectin from a nematode-trapping ascomycete fungus, Arthrobotrys oligospora, suggesting that the lectins might also function in capturing nematodes.
authors.affiliation: Department of Bioresources Chemistry, Faculty of Horticulture, Chiba University, Matsudo, Chiba 271-8510, Japan.
authors.forename: Naoto
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Iijima
authors.forename: Hiroto
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Yoshino
authors.forename: Lim Chee
authors.initials: LC
authors.lastname: Ten
authors.forename: Akikazu
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Ando
authors.forename: Katsunori
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Watanabe
authors.forename: Yoshiho
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Nagata
mesh_terms: D000595:Amino Acid Sequence; D000969:Antinematodal Agents / Q000737:chemistry*; D015139:Blotting, Southern; D003001:Cloning, Molecular; D004271:DNA, Fungal / Q000096:biosynthesis / Q000235:genetics / Q000302:isolation & purification; D004591:Electrophoresis, Polyacrylamide Gel; D004926:Escherichia coli / Q000378:metabolism; D005800:Genes, Fungal / Q000235:genetics*; D006386:Hemagglutination Tests; D037102:Lectins / Q000096:biosynthesis* / Q000737:chemistry / Q000235:genetics; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D020076:Pleurotus / Q000235:genetics*
chemical_list: D000969:Antinematodal Agents; D004271:DNA, Fungal; D037102:Lectins