ISSN:
1399-3054
Source:
Blackwell Publishing Journal Backfiles 1879-2005
Topics:
Biology
Notes:
Flax (Linum usitatissimum) hypocotyl protoplasts immobilized in a calcium-alginate matrix give rise to embryo-like structures. A direct correlation was established between the presence of a set of ionically-bound cell wall proteins, which includes the basic polypeptides P184 and P183 with an apparent molecular mass of 25 kDa, and this morphogenic response. Microsequencing of tryptic fragments from P184 and P183 indicated homologies with the chitinase family. These homologies were confirmed by demonstrating that, after renaturation, such proteins express a potential chitinase activity in SDS-PAGE gel containing glycol chitin as synthetic substrate. Using degenerate primers from P184 internal sequences, we isolated one partial genomic sequence of a chitinase of 626 bp from which a putative 74-amino acid sequence, disrupted by one intron, was deduced. High degrees of homology with several plant chitinases, including those expressed during somatic embryogenesis or in seeds, were observed. P184 microsequences match the corresponding sequence deduced from the chitinase PCR-fragment perfectly.
Type of Medium:
Electronic Resource
URL:
http://dx.doi.org/10.1034/j.1399-3054.1998.1030215.x
Permalink