50 ku keratin-like protein and β-microtublin coexist in higher plant cells

IF-like proteins have been obtained from suspension cells ofNicotiana tabacum by selective extraction. Western blot analysis shows that the major components of IF-like proteins are 6 keratin-like proteins of 64, 58, 55, 54, 50 and 45 ku. Specially the 50 ku protein also reacts with polyantibody against microtublin. Two-dimensional gel electrophoresis shows that the 50 ku protein is composed of two different proteins and their amino acid sequences have been determined. Part of the sequence of one protein is identical to that of β-microtublin and the other protein’s sequence has no significant homologue, which should be a new sequence-unknown protein. These results suggest that 50 ku keratin-like protein and β-microtublin coexist in higher plant cells, and that may lead to the phenomenon of co-distribution of IF and microtuble in plant cells.