Monoclonal antibodies to arabinogalactan-proteins (AGPs) released by Gymnocolea inflata when leaf and branch development is desuppressed

A panel of six McAbs were developed against arabinogalactan-proteins (AGPs) produced by a leafy liverwort, Gymnocolea inflata (Huds,) Dum. Five of these specify AGPs that are only released into the nutrient culture medium when increased cell proliferation correlated with an increase in the size and number of leaves and branches is experimentally induced. Because of this, we hypothesize that the AGP(s) specified by one or more of these McAbs function to help suppress cell proliferation, especially in certain leaf and branch primordia. The sixth McAb specifies AGPs that are released into the culture medium whether or not an increase of cell proliferation and organ initiation is induced. This panel of McAbs should prove to be a valuable asset for identifying, affinity purifying, and chemically characterizing one or more AGPs that appear to mediate the temporal and spatial suppression of cell proliferation in developing organ primordia.