Proteinase inhibitors in legumes - a review

Proteinase inhibitors (PIs) are anti-metabolic protein and have been well established to play a potent defensive role against predators and pathogens. PIs are found in most of the organisms, mainly in plants among different families and particularly abundant (1–10% of total proteins) in storage organs like seed and tubers. These endogenous proteinases act as storage proteins and function as specific substrates for the digestive proteinases of insect forming a stable complex in which proteolysis is limited and resulted extremely in slow development of insects. The inhibitors from different legumes have been isolated and their respective genes have been used for the construction of transgenic crop plants to be incorporated in integrated pest management programs.