RESUMO
Dihydrodipicolinate synthase (DHPS) is the main enzyme of a specific branch of the aspartate pathway leading to lysine biosynthesis in higher plants. We have cloned and characterized the DHPS-encoding Dap)A gene from the maize-related grass Coix lacryiana-jobi. The DapA open reading frame is interrupted by two introns and encodes the 326 amino acid-long Coix DHPS protein, which is 95% identical to the maize DHPS protein. Coix DNA gel blot analysis with maize DHPS cDNA as a probe showed a single strongly hybridizing band along with faint bands. RNA gel blot analysis showed that DHPS transcripts are present in coleoptiles, embryos, endosperms, and roots but are almost undetectable in blades of young leaves of both Coix and maize. The 5'-flanking region of the DapA gene contains a TGACTC GCN4-like element located 372 bp upstream the putative translation start codon. Steady-state levels of DHPS mRNA were slightly reduced in the endosperms and embryos of the maize lysine-rich opaque2 mutants when compared with those in normal kernels. Selective binding assay with the maize Opaque2 protein (O2) showed that the GCN4-like element is not an O2 binding site, suggesting that the DHPS gene is not under the control of O2.
Assuntos
Hidroliases/genética , Lisina/biossíntese , Proteínas de Plantas , Poaceae/genética , Sequência de Aminoácidos , Sequência de Bases , Clonagem Molecular , DNA de Plantas/química , DNA de Plantas/genética , DNA de Plantas/isolamento & purificação , Proteínas de Ligação a DNA/metabolismo , Dosagem de Genes , Regulação da Expressão Gênica no Desenvolvimento/efeitos da radiação , Regulação Enzimológica da Expressão Gênica/efeitos da radiação , Regulação da Expressão Gênica de Plantas/efeitos da radiação , Genes/genética , Hidroliases/metabolismo , Luz , Dados de Sequência Molecular , Poaceae/enzimologia , RNA Mensageiro/genética , RNA Mensageiro/metabolismo , Alinhamento de Sequência , Análise de Sequência de DNA , Homologia de Sequência de Aminoácidos , Distribuição Tecidual , Fatores de Transcrição/metabolismo , Zea mays/genéticaRESUMO
We have isolated a cDNA clone, designated ZLKRSDH, encoding the bifunctional enzyme lysine-ketoglutarate reductase/saccharopine dehydrogenase (LKR/SDH) from maize. The predicted polypeptide has an N-terminal LKR domain and a C-terminal SDH domain that are similar to the yeast LYS1 and LYS9 monofunctional proteins, respectively. The maize LKR/SDH protein is located in the cytoplasm of subaleurone endosperm cell layers. Transcripts and polypeptides as well as enzyme activities showed an upregulation and downregulation during endosperm development. The developmental expression of ZLKRSDH was examined in normal and opaque2 seeds. In the mutant endosperm, mRNA levels were reduced by >90%, with concomitant reductions in polypeptide levels and LKR/SDH activity. These results suggest that lysine levels in the endosperm are likely to be controlled at the transcriptional level by the Opaque2 transcription factor.
