In vitro and in silico analysis of two genes (A2-1 and G1-1) differentially regulated during dormancy and sprouting in potato tubers

Two cDNAs, corresponding to genes differentially regulated during dormancy and sprouting in potato tubers, cultivar Desiree, were isolated: i) G1-1 co rresponded to a gene that was turned off during dormancy and turned on duri ng early phases of sprouting; ii) A2-1 corresponded to a gene activated dur ing dormancy and strongly repressed during the transition from dormancy to sprouting. When induced, both genes were expressed at low level. Full-lengt h cDNAs and genomic clones were isolated and characterized. GI-l was a shor t gene, 452 bp long, containing an intronless open reading frame, coding fo r a putative protein of 64 aminoacids. Sequence analysis showed that G1-1 w as homologous to an expressed sequence tag (EST) of Arabidopsis thaliana. A 2-1 full-length cDNA was 1577 bF long and contained an open reading frame c oding for a putative protein of 383 aminoacids, which contained a Walker bo x binding domain, common to a multifunctional family of intracellular ATPas es.