Glycosylphosphatidylinositol-anchored proteins found in the moss Marchantia polymorpha

A suspension culture of the moss Marchantia polymorpha was incubated with e ither [H-3]-ethanolamine or [H-3]myristic acid, precursors of a glycosylpho sphatidylinositol (GPI) anchor. By both of these a secretory protein of 47 kDa was consistently labelled. Amino acid composition analysis of the chrom atographically purified 47-kDa protein exhibited the occurrence of ethanola mine and glucosamine at approximate molar ratios to protein of 1 and 4, res pectively. Thus the secretory 47-kDa protein of M, polymorpha was concluded to be a GPI-anchored protein.