CHARACTERIZATION OF A PHENYLALANINE AMMONIA-LYASE MULTIGENE FAMILY INTRIFOLIUM-SUBTERRANEUM

The enzyme phenylalanine ammonia-lyase (PAL) was found to be encoded b y a small gene family in the legume Trifolium subterraneum (subterrane an clover). At least three of the family members are tightly clustered within approx. 20 kb of DNA. Sequencing of one of the genes establish ed that it possesses two exons, the position of the single intron bein g identical to that found for PAL genes from other plants. The PAL pro tein consists of 725 amino acids, as deduced from the nucleotide seque nce.