A vegetative storage protein(VSP) with trypsin inhibitor activity in a deciduous tree,Sapindus mukorassi,was characterized by means of sodium dodecyl sulfate-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis,Western-blot,immuno-histochemical localization,light-and electro-microscopy,together with analysis of proteinase inhibitor activity of the purified VSP in vitro.There were two proteins with molecular masses of about 23 and 27 kDa in a relatively high content in the bark tissues of terminal branches of S.mukorassi in lea?ess periods.The proteins decreased markedly during young shoot development,indicating their role in seasonal nitrogen storage.Immuno-histochemical localization with the polyclonal antibodies raised against the 23 kDa protein demonstrated that the 23 kDa protein was the major component of protein inclusions in protein-storing cells.The protein inclusions were identified by protein-specific staining and should correspond to the electron-dense materials in different forms in the vacuoles of phloem parenchyma cells and phloem ray parenchyma cells under an electron microscope.So,the 23 kDa protein was a typical VSP in S.mukorassi.The 23 and 27 kDa proteins shared no immuno-relatedness,whereas the 23 kDa protein was immuno-related with the 22 kDa VSP in lychee and possessed trypsin inhibitor activity.The 23 kDa protein may confer dual functions:nitrogen storage and defense.
