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Lectins of the Nicotiana tabacum pollen grain walls stimulating in vitro pollen germination

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Abstract

Proteins diffusing from tobacco pollen grains into external medium, being inactivated by low temperature (0°C), were shown to stimulate pollen germination in vitro. Fractionation of these proteins by affinity chromatography using α-D-methylmannopyranoside (MMP) immobilized on agarose resulted in the isolation of lectins stimulating germination. The mol wts of these lectins were estimated by SDS-PAGE as 58, 69, and 74 kD. A stimulatory effect of these lectins was determined by their specific interaction with carbohydrate determinants because a competitive sugar (0.3 M MMP) suppressed completely lectin effect on germination. Polyvalent lectins capable of erythrocyte agglutination were also found among diffused proteins. These lectins are glycoproteins with Glu/Man carbohydrate determinants. MMP did not affect their capability of agglutination. This finding permits a conclusion that pollen grain wall contains lectins differing in their carbohydrate specificity.

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Abbreviations

ConA:

concavalin A

MMP:

α-D-methylmannopyranoside (MMP)

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Plant Physiology, Faculty of Biology, Moscow State University, Vorob’evy gory, Moscow, 119899, Russia

    N. P. Matveeva, E. A. Lazareva, T. P. Klyushnik, S. A. Zozulya & I. P. Ermakov

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  1. N. P. Matveeva
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  2. E. A. Lazareva
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  3. T. P. Klyushnik
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  4. S. A. Zozulya
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  5. I. P. Ermakov
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Correspondence to N. P. Matveeva.

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Original Russian Text © N.P. Matveeva, E.A. Lazareva, T.P. Klyushnik, S.A. Zozulya, I.P. Ermakov, 2007, published in Fiziologiya Rastenii, 2007, Vol. 54, No. 5, pp. 699–706.

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Matveeva, N.P., Lazareva, E.A., Klyushnik, T.P. et al. Lectins of the Nicotiana tabacum pollen grain walls stimulating in vitro pollen germination. Russ J Plant Physiol 54, 619–625 (2007). https://doi.org/10.1134/S1021443707050081

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1134/S1021443707050081

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