A cDNA encoding triose phosphate isomerase (TPI) of Stellaria longipes
has been isolated and sequenced. The TPI of S. longipes exhibits high
similarity to the TPIs from other species at both the nucleotide and
amino acid levels. Southern blot analysis showed that the S. longipes
genome contained multiple TPI-like nucleotide sequences and only a low
degree of polymorphism was observed among genotypes of different habi
tats. The levels of TPI mRNA, detected by hybridization to the TPI cDN
A, appeared similar between the genotypes. However, different genotype
s showed variations in the total TPI activity, reflecting the possible
ecological effect on the TPI gene expression. Northern blot hybridiza
tion to the cDNA also indicated a higher level of TPI mRNA in leaves t
han in roots, suggesting tissue-specific expression of TPI gene(s). Ph
ylogenetic analysis of the TPI amino acid sequences from 16 taxa sugge
sted that the TPI from S. longipes was more closely related to cytosol
ic TPIs from other plants than it was to TPIs from prokaryotes.