Distribution and Biosynthesis of Plant Lectins

植物凝集素的分布与生物合成。这项拟议的研究扩展了Etzler博士在最近被鉴定的豆科植物Dolichos biflorus凝集素蛋白家族的生物合成、分布和调节方面的工作。它解决了诸如导致这些蛋白质的不同亚细胞分布的生物合成步骤以及如何调节生物合成等问题。凝集素是一种蛋白质，最初在植物中发现，以高度特异性的方式结合某些糖部分。凝集素的生理作用尚不清楚，但它们的广泛存在暗示了它们的重要性。有人认为它们起到了识别分子的作用。本研究的结果将有助于最终理解植物凝集素的生理作用，并为密切相关蛋白的产生提供时空调控的基础信息。

Distribution and Biosynthesis of Plant Lectins. The proposed research extends Dr. Etzler's work on the biosynthesis, distribution and regulation of a family of lectin proteins from the legume, Dolichos biflorus that have recently been characterized. It addresses such questions as what are the biosynthetic steps leading to the different subcellular distributions of these proteins and how is the biosynthesis regulated. Lectins are proteins, originally identified in plants, that bind certain sugar moieties in a highly specific manner. The physiological role(s) of lectins is still unknown but their widespread occurrence implies their importance. It has been suggested that they act as recognition molecules. The results of this study should contribute to an eventual understanding of the physiological role of plant lectins as well as provide basic information on the spatial and temporal regulation of the production of closely related proteins.