Ipomoelin, a jacalin-related lectin with a compact tetrameric association and versatile carbohydrate binding properties regulated by its N terminus.
Chang, W.C., Liu, K.L., Hsu, F.C., Jeng, S.T., Cheng, Y.S.(2012) PLoS One 7: e40618-e40618
- PubMed: 22808208 
- DOI: https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0040618
- Primary Citation of Related Structures:  
3R50, 3R51, 3R52, 4DDN - PubMed Abstract: 
Many proteins are induced in the plant defense response to biotic stress or mechanical wounding. One group is lectins. Ipomoelin (IPO) is one of the wound-inducible proteins of sweet potato (Ipomoea batatas cv. Tainung 57) and is a Jacalin-related lectin (JRL). In this study, we resolved the crystal structures of IPO in its apo form and in complex with carbohydrates such as methyl α-D-mannopyranoside (Me-Man), methyl α-D-glucopyranoside (Me-Glc), and methyl α-D-galactopyranoside (Me-Gal) in different space groups. The packing diagrams indicated that IPO might represent a compact tetrameric association in the JRL family. The protomer of IPO showed a canonical β-prism fold with 12 strands of β-sheets but with 2 additional short β-strands at the N terminus. A truncated IPO (ΔN10IPO) by removing the 2 short β-strands of the N terminus was used to reveal its role in a tetrameric association. Gel filtration chromatography confirmed IPO as a tetrameric form in solution. Isothermal titration calorimetry determined the binding constants (K(A)) of IPO and ΔN10IPO against various carbohydrates. IPO could bind to Me-Man, Me-Glc, and Me-Gal with similar binding constants. In contrast, ΔN10IPO showed high binding ability to Me-Man and Me-Glc but could not bind to Me-Gal. Our structural and functional analysis of IPO revealed that its compact tetrameric association and carbohydrate binding polyspecificity could be regulated by the 2 additional N-terminal β-strands. The versatile carbohydrate binding properties of IPO might play a role in plant defense.
Organizational Affiliation: 
Institute of Plant Biology, College of Life Science, National Taiwan University, Taipei, Taiwan, Republic of China.