<Original>Electron Microscopical Studies on the Deposition Route of the Bark Lectin of Sophora japonica

Abstract

Immuno-gold electron microscopical observation indicated that the bark lectin of Sophora japonica is localized in the Golgi apparatus and the intravacuolar electron-dense materials, suggesting that the lectin is transported through the Golgi apparatus on the way from the ER to the vacuole. On the other hand, it was sometimes observed that ER-like endomembrane contains electron-dense materials by conventional electron microscopy. Moreover, such endomembrane appeared to fuse the tonoplast. It is possible that some of the lectin molecules or subunits may be transported through the Golgi apparatus and the others of them may be transported directly from ER to vacuole in the parenchyma cells of the bark of Sophora japonica.