Apparent processing of a soybean oil body protein accompanies the onset of oil mobilization.

The membrane surrounding the oil body contains several different specific polypeptides. To study the biosynthesis and posttranslational modification of these polypeptides we have prepared monoclonal antibodies against purified oil bodies of soybean (Glycine max). Three of the five monoclonals selected recognize a molecular mass 34 kilodalton protein (P34). Epitope mapping of CNBr and proteolytic fragments of P34 indicates that two of the anti-P34 monoclonal antibodies are directed at different epitopes. P34 is accumulated during seed maturation at the same time as the reserve proteins and oil. SDS/PAGE-immunoblots of germinating soybean seed cotyledons indicate that the protein is initially present as a molecular mass 34 kilodalton polypeptide and is processed to molecular mass 32 kilodalton on the fourth through sixth days of seedling growth simultaneously with the onset of oil mobilization. A comparison of reduced and carboxymethylated oil body proteins with nonreduced proteins by SDS/PAGE indicates that P34 exists in vivo as a dimer of molecular mass 58 kilodalton. Comparing the amino terminal sequences of P34 and P32 indicates that their difference is at least in part due to the removal of the amino terminus of P34. The amino terminal sequences of P34 and P32 were aligned to show that the transition of P34 to P32 was accompanied by the removal of a hydrophilic decapeptide (KKMKKEQYSC) at the amino terminus of P34. Hopp-Woods hydrophilicity analysis of the deleted amino terminus of P34 shows that it is more hydrophilic and charged than the sequence of the protein which immediately follows.