A vicilin-like seed protein of cycads: similarity to sucrose-binding proteins.

Seed storage globulins of the 7S and 11S type are synthesized in the seeds of angiosperms and gymnosperms. We have isolated and characterized a vicilin-like gene expressed in the cycad Zamia furfuraceae. Sequence comparisons reveal clear similarities to a sucrose-binding protein isolated from soybean. We suggest the existence of a superfamily of related genes including both vicilin-like and legumin-like seed globulin genes as well as genes coding for spherulins, germins and sucrose-binding-proteins.