Development of an Adonis aestivalis expressed sequence tag population as a resource for genes of the carotenoid pathway

Genome ◽  
2008 ◽  
Vol 51 (11) ◽  
pp. 888-896 ◽  
Author(s):  
Rong Li ◽  
Matthew G. Links ◽  
Branimir Gjetvaj ◽  
Andrew Sharpe ◽  
Abdelali Hannoufa

Expressed sequence tag (EST) libraries are a powerful tool for gene discovery in plants with genomes that are not fully sequenced. Adonis aestivalis (Ranunculaceae) is unusual among higher plants in that it accumulates large amounts of the valuable red ketocarotenoid astaxanthin in the flower petals, in addition to other carotenoids, and should therefore be a rich source of transcripts involved in carotenoid biosynthesis. To create a resource for gene discovery and increase our understanding of ketocarotenoid biosynthesis in plants, we sequenced 4189 cloned cDNAs from the floral tissues of A. aestivalis. The EST collection was annotated using sequence homology searches comparing the A. aestivalis ESTs with reference databases. ESTs involved in carotenoid biosynthesis were identified based on sequence homology to published sequences and by functional prediction using InterProScan. This study identified expressed transcripts for most of the known genes involved in the carotenoid pathway. Using an Escherichia coli functional expression system, two candidate transcripts from the A. aestivalis cDNA library were functionally characterized and identified as a novel β-carotene 3-hydroxylase (CrtH2) and a β-carotene monooxygenase. The expanded use of this EST collection combined with the E. coli expression system as presented here will greatly facilitate the cloning and characterization of candidate genes involved in carotenoid biosynthesis in plants.

Plant Science ◽  
2002 ◽  
Vol 163 (1) ◽  
pp. 141-145 ◽  
Author(s):  
Colette Jako ◽  
Catherine Coutu ◽  
Ingeborg Roewer ◽  
Darwin W Reed ◽  
Lawrence E Pelcher ◽  
...  

2001 ◽  
Vol 24 (1-4) ◽  
pp. 49-53 ◽  
Author(s):  
Roberto V. Santelli ◽  
Fábio Siviero

A search in the sugarcane expressed sequence tag (SUCEST) database for homologues of plant genes involved in photo-sensory mechanisms was carried out using the basic local alignment tool (BLAST). Our results shown that known elements (phytochromes, cryptochromes and phototoprin) present in Arabidopsis and other higher plants were detected with low e-values. We also searched for proteins interacting with photoreceptors in primary or downstream signaling events. One putative homologue for a protein postulated to be a primary element in phytochrome signaling pathways was identified, as were other candidates for downstream interacting factors.


1997 ◽  
Vol 92 (5) ◽  
pp. 625-629 ◽  
Author(s):  
Élida ML Rabelo ◽  
Glória R Franco ◽  
Vasco AC Azevedo ◽  
Heloisa B Pena ◽  
Túlio M Santos ◽  
...  

2001 ◽  
Vol 24 (1-4) ◽  
pp. 35-41 ◽  
Author(s):  
Dirce Maria Carraro ◽  
Marcio R. Lambais ◽  
Helaine Carrer

Sucrose non-fermenting-1-related protein kinases (SnRKs) may play a major role in regulating gene expression in plant cells. This family of regulatory proteins is represented by sucrose non-fermenting-1 (SNF1) protein kinase in Saccharomyces cerevisiae, AMP-activated protein kinases (AMPKs) in mammals and SnRKs in higher plants. The SnRK family has been reorganized into three subfamilies according to the evolutionary relationships of their amino acid sequences. Members of the SnRK subfamily have been identified in several plants. There is evidence that they are involved in the nutritional and/or environmental stress response, although their roles are not yet well understood. We have identified at least 22 sugarcane expressed sequence tag (EST) contigs encoding putative SnRKs. The amino acid sequence alignment of both putative sugarcane SnRKs and known SnRKs revealed a highly conserved N-terminal catalytic domain. Our results indicated that sugarcane has at least one member of each SnRK subfamily. Expression pattern analysis of sugarcane EST-contigs encoding putative SnRKs in 26 selected cDNA libraries from the sugarcane expressed sequence tag SUCEST database has indicated that members of this family are expressed throughout the plant. Members of the same subfamily showed no specific expression patterns, suggesting that their functions are not related to their phylogenic relationships based on N-terminal amino acid sequence phylogenetic relationships.


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