Cloning and expression pattern of a dehydrin-like BDN1 gene from drought-tolerant Boea crassifolia Hemsl.

A 500-bp cDNA fragment was amplified via RT-PCR from drought-induced total RNA of the drought-tolerant B. crassifolia Hemsl. using primers based on th e sequence of published dehydrin conserved region. By using 5' RACE, full-l ength coding region (1 148 bp) of BDN1 gene was produced. It is a new membe r of the dehydrin gene family. Southern analysis indicated that BDN1 is pre sent in the B. crassifolia genome as a single-copy gene. Northern analysis revealed that its expression is inducible by drought and cold stresses as w ell as ABA application.