An oat coleoptile wall protein that induces wall extension in vitro and that is antigenically related to a similar protein from cucumber hypocotyls

• Published in: Planta 1993-08, Vol.191 (3), p.349-356
• Main Authors: Li, Z.-H. (Pennsylvania State Univ., University Park (USA). Dept. of Biology), Durachko, D.M, Cosgrove, D.J
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: ALARGAMIENTO DEL TALLO; ALLONGEMENT DE LA TIGE; Avena; AVENA SATIVA; Biological and medical sciences; CELL WALLS; COLEOPTILE; COLEOPTILES; COLEOPTILOS; Cucumbers; Fundamental and applied biological sciences. Psychology; General aspects; Hypocotyls; Koleoptyle; Oats; PARED CELULAR; PAROI CELLULAIRE; Plant physiology and development; Plants; Protein; PROTEINAS; PROTEINE; PROTEINS; Quaternary ammonium compounds; Sodium; STEM ELONGATION; Streckungswachstum; Sulfates; Vegetative apparatus, growth and morphogenesis. Senescence; Zellwand
• ISSN: 0032-0935; 1432-2048
• DOI: 10.1007/BF00195692

Plant cell walls expand considerably during cell enlargement, but the biochemical reactions leading to wall expansion are unknown. McQueen-Mason et al. (1992, Plant Cell 4, 1425) recently identified two proteins from cucumber (Cucumis sativus L.) that induced extension in walls isolated from dicotyledons, but were relatively ineffective on grass coleoptile walls. Here we report the identification and partial characterization of an oat (Avena sativa L.) coleoptile wall protein with similar properties. The oat protein has an apparent molecular mass of 29 kDa as revealed by sodium dodecyl sulfate-polyacrylamide gel eletrophoresis. Activity was optimal between pH 4.5 and 5.0, which makes it a suitable candidate for "acid growth" responses of plant cell walls. The oat protein induced extension in walls from oat coleoptiles, cucumber hypocotyls and pea (Pisum sativum L.) epicotyls and was specifically recognized by an antibody raised against the 29-kDa wall-extension-inducing protein from cucumber hypocotyls. Contrary to the situation in cucumber walls, the acid-extension response in heat-inactivated oat walls was only partially restored by oat or cucumber wall-extension proteins. Our results show that an antigenically conserved protein in the walls of cucumber and oat seedlings is able to mediate a form of acid-induced wall extension. This implies that dicotyledons and grasses share a common biochemical mechanism for at least part of acid-induced wall extensions, despite the significant differences in wall composition between these two classes of plants.