CHARACTERIZATION OF A GENE ENCODING AN ABSCISIC ACID-INDUCIBLE TYPE-2LIPID TRANSFER PROTEIN FROM RICE

The cloning and sequence analysis of a novel gene that encodes a type 2 non-specific lipid transfer-like protein (LTP) from rice is reported , Sequence analysis revealed an ORF encoding a protein showing charact eristics of the LTP proteins. However, rice LTP2 is more similar to he terologous LTPs than to rice LTP1, supporting the existence of two dis tinct families of plant LTPs. Ltp2 mRNA is accumulated only in mature seeds. In vegetative tissues, mRNA was only detected after treatment w ith abscisic: acid (ABA), mannitol or NaCl, Transient expression exper iments that the 61 nucleotides upstream of the TATA box, containing tw o ACGT boxes and the motif I, are sufficient for ABA responsiveness of the Ltp gene. (C) 1998 Federation of European Biochemical Societies.