Abstract
Protein inhibitors of enzymes, which have potentially deleterious effects in animal nutrition and possible defensive functions against insect and microbial pests, are of widespread occurrence in plants1,2. Because cereals provide about 55% of direct human protein intake their inhibitors have received much attention3. The amino-acid sequences of α-amylase inhibitors in wheat4–6, and ragi (Eleusine coracana)7; proteinase inhibitors from maize8 and barley9,10; and bifunctional proteinase/amylase inhibitors in ragi11, barley12,13 and wheat14 show varied evolutionary relationships. Here we describe the sequence of a maize protein which is a potent in vitro inhibitor of bovine trypsin and the α-amylase from Tribolium castaneum beetles. The protein has little similarity to any of the other enzyme inhibitors, but is highly similar to the intensely sweet protein thaumatin15 and to a protein induced in tobacco following infection by tobacco mosaic virus (TMV)16. This unexpected finding suggests a possible function for these proteins.
This is a preview of subscription content, access via your institution
Access options
Subscribe to this journal
Receive 51 print issues and online access
$199.00 per year
only $3.90 per issue
Buy this article
- Purchase on Springer Link
- Instant access to full article PDF
Prices may be subject to local taxes which are calculated during checkout
Similar content being viewed by others
References
Richardson, M. Phytochemistry 16, 159–169 (1977).
Richardson, M. Fd. Chemistry 6, 235–253 (1981).
Kreis, M., Shewry, P. R., Forde, B. G., Forde, J. & Miflin, B. J. Oxf. Surv. Pl. molec. Biol. Cell Biol. 2, 253–317 (1985).
Kashlan, N. & Richardson, M. Phytochemistry 20, 1781–1784 (1981).
Maeda, K., Hase, T. & Matsubara, H. Biochim. biophys. Acta 743, 52–57 (1983).
Maeda, K., Kakabayashi, S. & Matsubara, H. Biochim. biophys. Acta 828, 213–221 (1985).
Campos, F. D. A. & Richardson, M. FEBS Lett. 167, 221–225 (1984).
Mahoney, W. C. et al. J. biol. Chem. 259, 8412–8416 (1984).
Odani, S., Koide, T. & Ono, T. J. biol. Chem. 258, 7998–8003 (1983).
Svendsen, I., Boisen, S. & Hejgaard, J. Carlsberg Res. Commun. 47, 45–53 (1982).
Campos, F. D. A. & Richardson, M. FEBS Lett. 152, 300–304 (1983).
Mundy, J. & Rogers, J. C. Planta 169, 51–63 (1986).
Hejgaard, J., Svendsen, I. & Mundy, J. Carlsberg Res. Commun. 48, 91–94 (1983).
Odani, S., Koide, T. & Ono, T. J. Biochem., Tokyo 100, 975–983 (1986).
Edens, L. et al. Gene 18, 1–12 (1982).
Cornelissen, B. J. C., Hooft van Huijsduijnen, R. A. M. & Bol, J. F. Nature 321, 531–532 (1986).
Lipman, D. J. & Pearson, W. R. Science 227, 1435–1441 (1985).
Kim, S. H. et al. J. Biochem., Tokyo 98, 435–448 (1985).
Richardson, M. et al. Biochim. biophys. Acta 872, 134–140 (1986).
Doolittle, R. Science 214, 149–159 (1981).
Pierpoint, A. S., Tatham, A. S. & Pappin, D. J. C. Physiol. Pl. Pathol. (in the press).
Cleveland, T. E. & Black, L. L. Pl. Physiol. 69, 537–542 (1982).
Peng, J. H. & Black, L. L. Phytopathology 66, 958–963 (1976).
Green, T. R. & Ryan, C. A. Science 175, 776–777 (1972).
Ryan, C. A. Rev. Pl. Physiol. 24, 173–196 (1973).
Van Loon, L. C. Pl. molec. Biol. 4, 111–116 (1985).
Van der Wel, H. & Bel, W. Chem. Senses 2, 211–218 (1976).
Morris, R., Cagan, R., Martenson, R. & Deibler, G. Proc. Soc. exp. Biol. Med. 157, 194–318 (1978).
Edens, L. & van der Wel, H. Trends Biotechnol. 3, 61–63 (1985).
Blanco-Labra, A. & Iturbe-Chinas, F. A. J. Fd. Biochem. 5, 1–17 (1981).
Chang, J. Y., Brauer, D. & Wittmann-Liebold, B. FEBS Lett. 93, 205–214 (1978).
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Richardson, M., Valdes-Rodriguez, S. & Blanco-Labra, A. A possible function for thaumatin and a TMV-induced protein suggested by homology to a maize inhibitor. Nature 327, 432–434 (1987). https://doi.org/10.1038/327432a0
Received:
Accepted:
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/327432a0
This article is cited by
-
Growth regulation and proteomic approaches of exogenous abscisic acid induced changes on salt tolerance factors in Suaeda maritima
Plant Physiology Reports (2020)
-
The interaction of Theobroma cacao and Moniliophthora perniciosa, the causal agent of witches’ broom disease, during parthenocarpy
Tree Genetics & Genomes (2012)
-
Cloning and characterization of two osmotin isoforms from Piper colubrinum
Biologia plantarum (2010)
-
The superfamily of thaumatin-like proteins: its origin, evolution, and expression towards biological function
Plant Cell Reports (2010)
-
Bifunctional inhibitor from corn cultivated in Uzbekistan
Chemistry of Natural Compounds (2008)
Comments
By submitting a comment you agree to abide by our Terms and Community Guidelines. If you find something abusive or that does not comply with our terms or guidelines please flag it as inappropriate.
