The protein-body proteins phytohemagglutinin and tonoplast intrinsic protein are targeted to vacuoles in leaves of transgenic tobacco

Herman Höfte, Loïc Faye, Craig Dickinson, Eliot M. Herman, Maarten J. Chrispeels

Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

32 Scopus citations

Abstract

To demonstrate the relationship between protein-bodies in seeds and vacuoles in other tissues, we expressed the coding sequences of two bean (Phaseolus vulgaris L.) protein-body proteins in tobacco (Nicotiana tabacum L.). We chose phytohemagglutinin-L (PHA-L) and tonoplast intrinsic protein (TIP) as representatives of the protein-body contents and protein-body membrane, respectively. The location of the two proteins in the leaves of transgenic tobacco was examined by immunocytochemistry and in preparations of isolated vacuoles. Tonoplast intrinsic protein accumulates primarily in tonoplasts in tobacco leaves, whereas PHA is found exclusively in the vacuolar sap, showing that the signals that target proteins to protein-bodies and their limiting membranes in seeds are correctly recognized in leaves. This observation provides further evidence that proteinbodies of dicotyledonous seeds should be considered as protein-storage vacuoles.

Original languageEnglish (US)
Pages (from-to)431-437
Number of pages7
JournalPlanta
Volume184
Issue number4
DOIs
StatePublished - Jul 1991
Externally publishedYes

Keywords

  • Nicotiana (transgenic)
  • Phytohemagglutinin
  • Protein bodies
  • Protein targeting
  • Tonoplast intrinsic protein
  • Vacuole

ASJC Scopus subject areas

  • Genetics
  • Plant Science

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