Calbindin (CB) is a calcium binding protein playing a role in calcium uptake and anti-apoptotic cellular protection. The expression of CB was immunohistochemically studied in the small intestine of normal and red bean kidney lectin-treated suckling piglets. In the duodenum and jejunum (but not ileum) of lectin-treated animals overexpression of CB was noted in chromogranin A-immunoreactive (CgA-...

In 1943 AMLONG (1) reported an increase in the transpiration of Cooper's Ernite tomato plants grown from seeds that had been soaked for 24 hours in a solution containing 100 mg. of potassium naphalene acetate, 100 mg. of ascorbic acid and 2000 mng. of thiourea per liter of water. Three years later, BROWN (2) investigating the effect of 2,4-Dichlorophenoxyacetic acid (1000 p.p.m.) on the water r...

Microsomal membrane preparations from the developing endosperm of castor bean (Ricinus communis) catalysed the transfer of oleate from [14C]oleoyl-CoA to phosphatidylcholine (PtdCho). In the presence of NADH, radioactive ricinoleate (12-hydroxyoctadec-9-enoate) was synthesized from [14C]oleate, and this was largely recovered in PtdCho and as free fatty acid. The addition of unlabelled ricinoleo...

The presence of hydrophobic sites in the lectin-I molecule was indicated by hydrophobic probes like 1-anilinonapthalene-8-sulfonic acid (ANS), 2-p-toluidinyl napthalene-6-sulfonic acid (TNS). N-phenyl-1-napthylamine (NA) and rose bengal (RB). This was further confirmed by amino acid modifications in the hydrophobic region of the lectin-I molecule. The binding of ANS, TNS, NA and RB to lectin-I ...

APA is a multigene locus that comprises the protein genes of arcelin (Arc), phytohemagglutinin (PHA) or lectin, and an ?-amylase inhibitor (?-AI). These play essential roles in defense responses legume seeds to protect against seed weevils common bean (P. vulgaris). During evolution this complex locus, PHA proteins appeared first, followed by ?-AI Arc proteins. This study compared analyzed sequ...

During the germination of fatty seeds such as the castor bean, a rapid conversion of fat to sugar occurs (2). The fatty acids are probably broken down to acetyl units via P-oxidation (3) ; the discovery of the glyoxylate cycle enzymes (4) in the castor bean endosperm (5) provided a mechanism whereby these acetyl units could be quantitatively converted to malate. Since malate could be viewed as ...

Pronase digestion of the lima bean lectin (Phaseolus lunatus (alpha-D-GalNAc greater than alpha-D-Gal)) afforded a glycopeptide of molecular weight 1380. Amino acid and carbohydrate analysis showed the glycopeptide to contain fucose, mannose, glucosamine, and aspartic acid in the molar ratios, 0.8:4.4:1.9:1.0. Methylation analysis, Smith degradation, and sequential degradation by specific glyco...

A cDNA encoding the oleate 12-hydroxylase from castor bean (Ricinus communis L.) has previously been shown to direct the synthesis of small amounts of ricinoleic acid (12-hydroxyoctadec-cis-9-enoic acid) in seeds of transgenic tobacco plants. Expression of the cDNA under control of the Brassica napus napin promoter in transgenic Arabidopsis thaliana plants resulted in the accumulation of up to ...