Glycosylphosphatidylinositol-anchored proteins found in the moss Marchantia polymorpha

A suspension culture of the moss Marchantia polymorpha was incubated with either [H-3]-ethanolamine or [H-3]myristic acid, precursors of a glycosylphosphatidylinositol (GPI) anchor. By both of these a secretory protein of 47 kDa was consistently labelled. Amino acid composition analysis of the chromatographically purified 47-kDa protein exhibited the occurrence of ethanolamine and glucosamine at approximate molar ratios to protein of 1 and 4, respectively. Thus the secretory 47-kDa protein of M, polymorpha was concluded to be a GPI-anchored protein.