ISOLATION AND CHARACTERIZATION OF PLANT DEFENSINS FROM SEEDS OF ASTERACEAE, FABACEAE, HIPPOCASTANACEAE AND SAXIFRAGACEAE

From seeds of Aesculus hippocastanum, Clitoria ternatea, Dahlia mercki i and Heuchera sanguinea five antifungal proteins were isolated and sh own to be homologous to plant defensins previously characterised from radish seeds and gamma-thionins from Poaceae seeds, Based on the spect rum of their antimicriobial activity and the morphological distortions they induce on fungi the peptides can be divided into two classes, Th e peptides did not inhibit any of three different alpha-amylases.