Developmental changes and tissue distribution of lectin inGalanthus nivalis L. andNarcissus cv. Carlton.

A sensitive immunosorbent assay was developed to quantify the lectin in different tissues ofGalanthus nivalis (snowdrop) andNarcissus cv. Carlton (daffodil) and follow the distribution of the lectin during the life cycle of the plants. The lectin in snowdrops and daffodils occurs in almost all plant tissues. Moreover, in many tissues the lectin is the most prominent protein. High lectin concentrations are found in the bulb where the lectin accounts for up to 15% of the total protein during the resting period. However, as the shoot grows and the plant turns on to flowering the lectin content rapidly decreases. Soon after flowering the lectin accumulates in the new bulb units. Whereas in daffodil the lectin concentration in the aerial plant parts is about one order of magnitude lower than in the bulb, lectin concentrations in the upper parts of snowdrop are similar to those in the bulb. The lectin in the former tissues is already present before the sprout emerges. As the shoot starts to grow lectin concentrations in leaves, stems and flower parts gradually decrease so that at flowering time virtually all lectin has disappeared from the aerial parts. The highest lectin concentrations are found in the ovary and increase, initially, as the sprout emerges from the bulb.