Molecular cloning and mapping of casein kinase 2 alpha and beta subunit genes in barley

Casein kinase 2 (CK2) is a ubiquitous, highly pleiotropic, constitutively active, and messenger-independent Ser/Thr protein kinase. It is found in two different forms: the heterotetrameric CK2, composed of two alpha catalytic subunits and two beta regulatory subunits, and the monomeric CK2 alpha, consisting of the alpha catalytic subunit. In the present study, we isolated barley cDNA clones of the CK2 alpha and beta subunit genes, designated HvCK2A and HvCK2B, respectively. Chromosome assignment, using a set of wheat–barley disomic chromosome addition lines, and RFLP mapping, using two doubled haploid populations, showed that HvCK2A was duplicated on the short arm of chromosome 2H and the long arm of chromosome 5H (designated HvCK2a-2H and HvCK2a-5H, respectively), and a single copy of HvCK2B was located on the long arm of chromosome 1H (designated HvCK2b). A PCR-Southern hybridization experiment demonstrated that the HvCK2A sequence originated from the HvCK2a-5H locus, showing that at least HvCK2a-5H was expressed. The present cDNA sequences and genomic organization of the two subunits will facilitate further functional analysis of CK2 in barley.