Protein and cDNA sequences of Bowman-Birk protease inhibitors from the cowpea (Vigna unguiculata Walp.).

The protein and gene sequences of the cowpea Bowman-Birk type trypsin inhibitor which confers enhanced insect resistance to transgenic tobacco plants, and of cowpea trypsin/chymotrypsin inhibitors are presented. There are regions of high conservation and high divergence within the 5' leader, mature protein and 3' non-coding regions of the Bowman-Birk inhibitors and in the genes which encode them in different members of this family within the Leguminosae. The practical implications of this finding for studies on the evolution of plants and the utilization of these genes for enhancing insect resistance is discussed.