Reduction of plant-specific arabinogalactan-type O-glycosylation by treating tobacco plants with ferrous chelator 2,2'-dipyridyl.

Plant specific O-glycosylation of proteins includes the attachment of arabinogalactan to hydroxyproline (Hyp) residues. These Hyp residues are generated from peptidyl proline residues by the action of prolyl 4-hydroxylase which requires the ferrous ion. We investigated the effect of the ferrous chelator, 2,2'-dipyridyl on tobacco plants, and found that such treatment reduced the arabinogalactosylation of proteins.