E. Kruse et al., ISOLATION AND CHARACTERIZATION OF TOBACCO (NICOTIANA-TABACUM) CDNA CLONES ENCODING PROTEINS INVOLVED IN MAGNESIUM CHELATION INTO PROTOPORPHYRIN-IX, Plant molecular biology, 35(6), 1997, pp. 1053-1056
We have identified cDNA clones encoding the two Mg chelatase subunits
CHL I and CHL H from tobacco (Nicotiana tabacum) by screening a cDNA l
ibrary with homologous cDNA fragments from Arabidopsis thaliana. A ful
l-length Chl I cDNA clone encodes a peptide with 426 amino acids. The
entire cDNA sequence encoding 1382 amino acid long CHL H was obtained
by extension of a truncated cDNA fragment using the 'rapid amplificati
on of cDNA ends' (RACE) method. Both genes Chl I and Chl H were strong
ly expressed in young leaves and to a lesser extent in mature leaves.
Only traces of both transcripts were found in flowering organs. Southe
rn blot analysis suggests that CHL I is encoded by a single gene and C
HL H most likely by several genes.