About the Cover
On the Cover: The soybean seeds shown in this close-up
photograph have a dull luster that results from microscopic fragments
of endocarp tissue sticking to the seed surface. Shiny-seeded soybeans
have a more glossy finish and few traces of endocarp remnants on the
surface. Gijzen et al. (pp 951-959) have compared proteins from dull-
and shiny-seeded soybeans and found that a large amount of hydrophobic
protein occurs on the surface of the dull phenotypes. Synthesis of the
hydrophobic protein is restricted to the endocarp tissues during seed
maturation. The hydrophobic protein is an 8-kD, Cys-rich peptide that
has previously been identified as the main allergen causing asthma in
persons allergic to soybean dust.
[Table of Contents]
Copyright © 2008 by the American Society of Plant Biologists
