A gene encoding a vicilin-like protein is specifically expressed in fern spores. Evolutionary pathway of seed storage globulins.

The isolation and characterisation of a cDNA coding for a vicilin-like protein of the fern Matteuccia struthiopteris is described. The corresponding gene is specifically expressed during late stages of spore development. Extensive sequence comparisons suggest that the fern protein can be considered as a molecular missing link between single-domain germin/spherulin-like proteins and two-domain seed storage globulins of gymnosperms and angiosperms. Further, evidence is provided for the existence of a superfamily of structurally related, functionally different proteins which includes storage globulins of the vicilin and legumin families, a membrane-associated sucrose-binding protein of soybean, a Forssman antigen-binding lectin of velvet bean, the precursor of the vacuolar membrane bound proteins MP27/MP32 of pumpkin, the embryogenesis-specific protein Gea8 of carrot, the fern-spore-specific protein described here as well as the functionally diverse family of germins/germin-like proteins and the spherulins of myxomycetes. We propose that seed storage globulins of spermatophytes evolved from desiccation-related single-domain proteins of prokaryotes via a duplicated two-domain ancestor that is best represented by the extant fern spore-specific vicilin-like protein.