SEQUENCE AND EXPRESSION OF A MICROSPORE CDNA CLONE WITH HOMOLOGY TO ARIBOSOMAL-PROTEIN

A cDNA library was made to RNA from corn anthers containing developing pollen at the uninucleate microspore stage. A randomly selected clone from this library which contained an insert (531 bp) was isolated and sequenced. An open reading frame of 330 bp was located. Computer alig nments of the putative amino acid sequence with sequences from GenBank and the SwissProt protein databases indicated homology to L12, an aci dic ribosomal protein. RNA blot analysis showed highest levels of this mRNA in mature pollen. The significance of this observation in light of the known biochemistry of ribosome synthesis in developing pollen i s discussed.