IDENTIFICATION OF STATHMIN-LIKE PROTEINS IN PLANTS

Stathmin-like proteins were identified in broad bean, green bean, pea, soybean, and cowpea extracts by western blotting after SDS PAGE and n ative isoelectric focusing (IEF). The subunit molecular mass of these proteins ranged from 14-23 kDa in leaf, root and stem tissues, but hig her molecular mass forms were observed in germinated seed (cotyledon) extracts. After IEF, multiple forms of stathmin-like proteins were obs erved in different tissues from all plant extracts. In general, the pI s ranged from 3.5 to 5.0, although each tissue showed a unique IEF pat tern of stathmin-like proteins. Stathmin-like proteins in plants appea r to be similar to mammalian stathmin in size, pI and immunological de terminants. (C) Elsevier, Paris.