Summary
Globulins are the major seed storage proteins of spermatophytes. Vicilins (7S globulins) and legumins (12S globulins) form the two major classes of globulins. Recently, a three-dimensional structure model based on high-resolution X-ray spectroscopy was established for vicilin. Extended similarities exist in the primary structure between vicilin and legumin, suggesting that vicilin and legumin are also similar in three-dimensional structure. Both globulin classes have common evolutionary roots and belong to a superclass of proteins involved in dehydration/hydration processes in fungal and plant cells. The functional characteristics of globulins, which are important for their biosynthesis, intracellular protein transfer, molecular processing and depositon in the protein storage vacuole during seed development, as well as for breakdown during germination, can now be attributed at least in part to special structural features. In addition, this knowledge on the structure function relations of globulins supports strategies for its genetic engineering.
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Müntz, K. (1998). Globulins from Legume Seeds: Structure and Function during Storage and Reactivation. In: Guéguen, J., Popineau, Y. (eds) Plant Proteins from European Crops. Springer, Berlin, Heidelberg. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-662-03720-1_1
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-662-03720-1_1
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