The Function of Sweet Potato’s Special Tuber Storage Protein and Its Application in Engineering Plant Research

Lin Qiu^1,2, Heng Dong^1,2, Li Huang^1,2*, Jia-Shu Cao^1,2

¹Laboratory of Cell & Molecular Biology, Institute of Vegetable Science, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou 310058, China;²Department of Horticulture, the State Agricultural Ministry Laboratory of Horticultural Plant Growth, Development &

Abstract: Sporamin protein， a major soluble protein in sweet potato tuber， has root-specific， woundinduced expression pattern and Kunitz-type trypsin inhibitor activity. Potential protease inhibitor makes sporamin protein widely used in recent years’ engineering plant research. This review is a summary of the current knowledge of sporamin protein on its structural features， expression regulation， biological activities as well as researches on engineering plant resistance against insects.

CSTR: 32200.14.cjcb.2011.06.0013