Purification and characterization of a poly(A)-binding protein from chickpea (Cicer arietinum) epicotyl

A poly(A)-binding protein (PABP) with mol wt 72,000 has been purified from chickpea (Cicer arietinum) epicotyls by ammonium sulfate fractionation, Cibacron blue F3-GA and poly(A) agarose chromatography. The binding properties and the specificity of binding show that the purified protein is an analogue of PABPs in other eukaryotes. This PABP is highly susceptible to proteolysis and upon degradation forms a polypeptide fragment of mol wt 21,000 which has an independent poly(A) binding activity.