© 2005 Heron Publishing—Victoria, Canada
Characterization of genes for novel thaumatin-like proteins in Cryptomeria japonica
Norihiro Futamura (1, 2), Naoki Tani (3), Yoshihiko Tsumura (3), Nobuyoshi Nakajima (4), Masahiko Sakaguchi (5) and Kenji Shinohara (1)
1. Department of Molecular and Cell Biology, Forestry and Forest Products Research Institute, Ibaraki 305-8687, Japan / 2. Corresponding author (futa@ffpri.affrc.go.jp) / 3. Department of Forest Genetics, Forestry and Forest Products Research Institute, Ibaraki 305-8687, Japan / 4. Biodiversity Conservation Research Project, National Institute for Environmental Studies, Ibaraki, 305-8506, Japan / 5. Research Center for Allergy and Immunology, RIKEN Yokohama Institute, Kanagawa 230-0045, Japan / Received January 5, 2005; accepted May 3, 2005; published online October 3, 2005
Summary
Thaumatin-like proteins (TLPs) are induced by a variety of phytopathogens in many plants and several TLPs are allergenic.
Previously, we isolated three TLP-encoding cDNAs (Cry j 3.1, Cry j 3.2 and Cry j 3.3) from a cDNA library derived from the pollen of Cryptomeria japonica D. Don. Here, we describe three new TLP cDNAs (Cry j 3.4, Cry j 3.5 and Cry j 3.6). We compared the sequences, the genetic map location and the expression patterns of the Cry j 3 genes. The amino acid sequence predicted from Cry j 3.5 exhibits only limited similarity to those predicted from the other Cry j 3 genes. Linkage analysis showed that the Cry j 3.1 to Cry j 3.4 genes are located in the same linkage group, but Cry j 3.5 is located in a different group. Organ-specificity and induction by stresses and plant hormones differed among the Cry j 3 mRNAs. In pollen grains, the Cry j 3.5 mRNA expression level was higher than that of the other Cry j 3 genes. Exposure to UV-B and salt stress induced expression of Cry j 3.1. The ethylene-releasing compound ethephon strongly induced expression of Cry j 3.4. Salt stress and salicylic acid also induced expression of Cry j 3.4. Abscisic acid weakly induced expression of Cry j 3.5. Arachidonic acid strongly induced expression of Cry j 3.4 and Cry j 3.6, and weakly induced that of Cry j 3.3, whereas expression of Cry j 3.1 and Cry j 3.5 was unaffected. These results suggest that the roles of TLPs and the cascades that regulate their expression differ among
the members of the TLP family in C. japonica.
Keywords:
gene expression, pollen, PR-5 protein, stress response, sugi (Cryptomeria japonica D. Don).
