Este estudo foi feito com a finalidade de estabelecer efeitos comparativos da seca e da reidratação na assimilação do nitrato e atividade do nódulo relacionado com a fixação de N2 em planta de caupi [Vigna unguiculata L. (Walp.)] previamente inoculada com Bradyrhizobium spp., estirpe BR-3256 (CB-756), na presença de NO-3 (5 mol m-3). Aos 28 dias após a emergência, as plantas noduladas foram submetidas à seca, durante 4 dias sucessivos e, depois, reidratadas com solução nutritiva durante 2 dias. A seca causou um aumento rápido no conteúdo de nitrato da raiz e uma acentuada redução na atividade da redutase do nitrato de folhas (NR). Em contraste, no nódulo esta atividade foi aumentada ligeiramente pelo déficit de água. Concomitantemente, nos nódulos das plantas estressadas, observou-se uma redução progressiva na concentração de leghemoglobina, atividade de glutamina sintetase (GS) e na concentração de ureídeos na seiva do xilema. A atividade da NR nas folhas aumentou rapidamente após a reidratação enquanto que o conteúdo de nitrato da mesma decresceu. Em contraste, a atividade de GS e a concentração de proteínas solúveis nos nódulos continuaram diminuindo nas plantas reidratadas. A concentração de leghemoglobina apresentou uma boa recuperação, enquanto que o conteúdo de ureídeos sofreu um leve aumento após a reidratação. Apesar da assimilação de nitrato em folhas e a atividade do nódulo terem sido severamente afetados pelo déficit de água, a rápida recuperação da atividade de redutase do nitrato nas folhas sugere que o primeiro processo seja menos susceptível ao ciclo de seca/reidratação quando plantas de caupi são noduladas em presença de nível moderado de nitrato.

This study was carried out to establish comparative effects of drought and recovery on the nitrate assimilation and nodule activity related to N2 fixation in cowpea plants [Vigna unguiculata L. (Walp.)] previously inoculated with Bradyrhizobium spp. BR-3256 (CB-756) strain in the presence of 5 mol m-3 NO-3. Twenty-eight-day-old nodulated plants were submitted to water deprivation during 4 consecutive days and afterwards resupplied with nutrient solution during 2 days. The water deprivation caused a rapid increase in the nitrate content in root and a marked reduction in leaf nitrate reductase (NR) activity. In contrast nodule NR activity was slightly increased by water deprivation. Concomitantly, in nodules of water stressed plants, leghemoglobin and glutamine synthetase (GS) activity declined and a progressive reduction in ureide-N concentration in xylem sap was observed. Leaf-NR activity increased rapidly after rehydration while leaf nitrate content declined. In contrast both GS activity and soluble protein content in the nodule continued to decline in rewatered plants. In addition the concentration of leghemoglobin recovered well, while the xylem ureide-N content experienced a slight increase after rehydration. Despite the nitrate assimilation in leaves and the nodule activity had been both severely affected by water stress, the rapid recovery of nitrate reductase activity suggests that the nitrate assimilation process is less sensitive to drought/rehydration cycle when cowpea plants are nodulated in presence of moderate nitrate level.

The carbohydrate-binding specificity of lectins from the seeds of Canavalia maritima and Dioclea grandiflora was studied by hapten-inhibition of haemagglutination using various sugars and sugar derivatives as inhibitors, including N-acetylneuraminic acid and N-acetylmuramic acid. Despite some discrepancies, both lectins exhibited a very similar carbohydrate-binding specificity as previously reported for other lectins from Diocleinae (tribe Phaseoleae, sub-tribe Diocleinae). Accordingly, both lectins exhibited almost identical hydropathic profiles and their three-dimensional models built up from the atomic coordinates of ConA looked very similar. However, docking experiments of glucose and mannose in their monosaccharide-binding sites, by comparison with the ConA-mannose complex used as a model, revealed conformational changes in side chains of the amino acid residues involved in the binding of monosaccharides. These results fully agree with crystallographic data showing that binding of specific ligands to ConA requires conformational chances of its monosaccharide-binding site.

Lectins, carbohydrate-binding proteins of non-immune origin, that agglutinate cells or precipitate polysaccharides and glycoconjugates, are well distributed in nature, mainly in the Plant Kingdom. The great majority of the plante lectins are present in seed cotyledons where they are found in the cytoplasm or int he protein bodies, although they have also been found in roots, stems and leaves. Due to their peculiar properties, the lectins are used as a tool both for analytical and preparative purposes in biochemistry, cellular biology, immunology and related areas. In agriculture and medicine the use of lectins greatly improved in the last few years. The lextins, with few exceptions, are glycoproteins, need divalent cations to display full activity and are, in general, oligomers with variable molecular weight. Although the studies on lectins have completed a century, their role in nature is yet ynknown . Several hypotheses on their physiological functions have been suggested. Thus, lectins could play important roles in defense against pathogens, plant-microorganism symbiosis, cell organization, embryo morphogenesis, phagocytosis, cell wall elongation, pollen recognition and as reserve proteins. A brief review on the general properties and roles of the lectins is given.

A comparação da metabolização da lectina de Canavalia brasiliensis com as demais proteínas de reservas durante a germinação das sementes na presença de luz foi acompanhada através da combinação de dosagem de proteínas solúveis, determinação da atividade hemaglutinante, cromatografia de afinidade em coluna de Sephadex G-50 e eletroforese em gel de poliacrilamida em presença de dodecilsulfato de sódio (SDS) e 2-mercaptoetanol. Os resultados foram comparados com resultados anteriormente obtidos com sementes germinadas na ausência da luz e ficou evidenciado que, mesmo com as plântuias fotossintetizando, a lectina de Canavalia brasiliensis é preservada, sendo metabolizada após as>demais proteínas de reserva. Estes dados sugerem também que estas proteínas devam ter funções específicas durante o ciclo vital da planta e não se constituem apenas em proteínas de reserva.

Canavalia brasiliensis seed lectin during germination in the presence of light. The mobilization of the lectin of Canavalia brasiliensis during seed germination, in the presence of light, was studied in comparison with the reserve proteins. Methods employed were determination of soluble protein content, hemagglutinating activity, affinity chromatography on Sephadex G-50 column, and PAGE-SDS. The results showed that the lectin was metabolized later than the reserve proteins suggesting that it may have a special function other than a simple reserve protein.

Eletroforese em gel de poliacrilamida das proteínas solúveis extraídas de sementes de doze espécies da tribo Diocleae, apresenta padrão qualitativo semelhante no que diz respeito às bandas correspondentes às lectinas, sugerindo a possibilidade de seu uso como marcadores taxonômicos.

Polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis of the soluble proteins extracted from seeds of twelve species belonging to the tribe Diocleae showed substantive qualitative pattern similiarities between the bands correspondent to the lectins.