Distribution of lectins in membranes of soybean and peanut plants : I. General distribution in root, shoot and leaf tissue at different stages of growth.

The distribution of lectin activity in soybean and peanut plants has been investigated. In both plants activity is found in all tissues examined (roots, shoots and leaves) at all stages of development from seedling to maturity (7 weeks). The cellular location of the lectins differs between soybean and peanut: in soybean the lectins are generally membrane-associated, whereas in peanut plants lectin activity is present also in the soluble cytoplasmic fraction. The membrane-associated lectins appear to differ from the seed lectins of the respective plants. The function of membrane-associated lectins is discussed.