The detection of fucose residues in plant nuclear envelopes

Protoplasts from suspension-culturedDaucus carota L. cells, when fixed and incubated with fluorescein conjugates of the fucosyl-specific lectinUlex europaeus agglutinin I, exhibited the following pattern of labeling: plasma membranes were not marked, but striking halos of fluorescence appeared around the periphery of all nucleic. Identical observations were made with protoplasts fromVicia faba L. leaves,Pisum sativum L. epicotyls,Zea mays L. roots andGlycine max L. cell suspensions, as well as with nucleic in cell-free preparations from the same sources. These results indicate that in a broad spectrum of angiosperm cells, fucose residues are associated with the nuclear envelope. The relationship of this finding in plant cells to recent discoveries regarding nuclear glycoconjugates in animal cells remains to be explored.