Extracellular Sunflower Proteins: Evidence on Non-classical Secretion of a Jacalin-Related Lectin
Extracellular proteins from sunflower seedlings were analyzed by electrophoresis followed by peptide mass fingerprinting. Tentative identification revealed novel proteins for this crop. A significant number of those proteins were not expected to be extracellular because they lacked
the typical signal peptide responsible for secretion. In silico analysis showed that some members of this group presented the characteristic disordered structures of certain non-classical and leaderless mammalian secretory proteins. Among these proteins, a putative jacalin-related lectin (Helja)
with a mannose binding domain was further isolated from extracellular fluids by mannose-affinity chromatography, thus validating its identification. Besides, immunolocalization assays confirmed its extracellular location. These results showed that a lectin, not predicted to be secreted in
strict requirement of the N-terminal signal peptide, occurs in a sunflower extracellular compartment. The implications of this finding are discussed.
Keywords: Agglutinin; Helianthus annuus; In silico analysis; Secretome P; immunolocalization; jacalin; mannose-affinity chromatography; peptide mass fingerprinting; signal sequence; unconventional secretion
Document Type: Research Article
Publication date: 01 March 2012
- Protein & Peptide Letters publishes short papers in all important aspects of protein and peptide research, including structural studies, recombinant expression, function, synthesis, enzymology, immunology, molecular modeling, drug design etc. Manuscripts must have a significant element of novelty, timeliness and urgency that merit rapid publication. Reports of crystallisation, and preliminary structure determinations of biologically important proteins are acceptable. Purely theoretical papers are also acceptable provided they provide new insight into the principles of protein/peptide structure and function.
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