A Major Jasmonate - Inducible Protein of Sweet ABA - Independent Wound - Inducible Protein Potato , Ipomoelin , is an

proteo]ytic fragments were determined. Screening a cDNA library of MeJA-treated leayes by o]igonucleotide probes designed from the peptide sequences identified a c]one that collld code for a polypeptide with 154 amino acids. The deduced amino acid sequence of ipomoelin showed an oyerall amino acid identity of 25% with the salt-inducib]e SatT protein of rice. In addition, the C-termina] 70 amino acid sequence of ipomoelin showed about 50% identity with the C-terminal amino acid sequences of seed lectins from Mbraceae. The gelle for ipomoelin was present in a few copies in the genome of sweet potato. The mRNA for ipomoelin was deteeted in leayes and petioles, but not in stems and tuberous roots, of sweet potato plants grown in the field. Mechanical wounding of leaves induced ipomoelin mRNA both locally and systemically, while treatment of leayes with ABA, salt, or a high leyel of sucrose did not induce ipomoeli" mRNA. By contrast, ABA-inducible mRNA for sporamin was not induced by MedA. These results suggest that ipomoelin is inyolved in defensiye reactions of leaves in response to wounding and that JA-mediated wound-induction of ipomoelin occurs independe"tly of ABA.