DIFFERENTIAL ACCUMULATION OF THE TRANSCRIPTS OF 22 NOVEL PROTEIN-KINASE GENES IN ARABIDOPSIS-THALIANA

22 novel members of the Arabidopsis thaliana protein kinase family (AK s) were identified by using degenerate oligonucleotide primers directe d to highly conserved amino acid sequences of the protein kinase (PK) catalytic domain. Of these 22 genes, 16 turned out to carry intron seq uences. Homologies of AK sequences were detected to S-locus receptor p rotein kinases (SRKs) from Brassica spp., to SRK-like PKs from maize a nd A. thaliana and to several other receptor PKs from A. thaliana. Seq uence similarity was also detected to Ca2+-dependent PKs (CDPKs) from rape and soybean, to SNF1 and to CDC2 homologues. The genomic organiza tion and the accumulation of the mRNAs from these 22 AK genes were inv estigated.