The Functions of Plant Basic 7S Globulin

Abstract

The soybean seed basic 7S globulin (Bg7S)-like proteins were found universally in many species of plants. Bg7S was originally thought to be one of the major seed storage proteins, but it was elucidated in later studies that Bg7S was not a storage protein but a protein with many functions such as stress response, antibacterial activity, hormone receptor-like activity, etc. Functional differences in Bg7S were found between legumes and other plants. Bg7S of plants other than legumes had a function to inhibit the invasion of pathogenic microorganisms into cells. In addition, in non-leguminous plants, there was no peptide such as leginsulin which has activity to bind to Bg7S. Although Bg7S-like proteins in leguminous plants and other plants are homologous, they may have evolved in functionally different directions. On the other hand, Bg7S and leginsulin were found to have functional effects on humans, rats, and mice, such as the control of blood glucose level, blood pressure and plasma cholesterol level, and cancer cell antiproliferative actions.