The seed coat of Phaseolus vulgaris interferes with the development of the cowpea weevil [Callosobruchus maculatus (F.) (Coleoptera: Bruchidae)].
We have confirmed here that the seeds of the common bean (Phaseolus vulgaris, L.) do not support development of the bruchid Callosobruchus maculatus (F.), a pest of cowpea [Vigna unguiculata (L.) Walp] seeds. Analysis of the testa (seed coat) of the bean suggested that neither thickness nor the levels of compounds such as tannic acid, tannins, or HCN are important for the resistance. On the other hand, we have found that phaseolin (vicilin-like 7S storage globulin), detected in the testa by Western blotting and N-terminal amino acid sequencing, is detrimental to the development of C. maculatus. As for the case of other previously studied legume seeds (Canavalia ensiformis and Phaseolus lunatus) we suggest that the presence of vicilin-like proteins in the testa of P. vulgaris may have had a significant role in the evolutionary adaptation of bruchids to the seeds of leguminous plants.
Silva
Luciana B
LB
Laboratório de Química e Função de Proteínas e Peptídeos, Centro de Biociências e Biotecnologia, Universidade Estadual do Norte Fluminense, 28015-620, Campos dos Goytacazes, RJ, Brasil.
Sales
Maurício P
MP
Oliveira
Antônia E A
AE
Machado
Olga L T
OL
Fernandes
Kátia V S
KV
Xavier-Filho
José
J
D000818:Animals; D015153:Blotting, Western; D001517:Coleoptera / Q000187:drug effects*; D018556:Crops, Agricultural / Q000469:parasitology*; D004591:Electrophoresis, Polyacrylamide Gel; D005260:Female; D027805:Phaseolus / Q000737:chemistry* / Q000469:parasitology; D010940:Plant Proteins / Q000302:isolation & purification / Q000494:pharmacology*; D055314:Seed Storage Proteins; D012639:Seeds / Q000737:chemistry / Q000469:parasitology
D010940:Plant Proteins; D055314:Seed Storage Proteins; C048826:phaseolin protein, Phaseolus vulgaris; C015575:vicilin protein, plant