Aspartic protease in leaves of common bean (Phaseolus vulgaris L.) and cowpea (Vigna unguiculata L. Walp): enzymatic activity, gene expression and relation to drought susceptibility
Mhc. De Carvalho et al., Aspartic protease in leaves of common bean (Phaseolus vulgaris L.) and cowpea (Vigna unguiculata L. Walp): enzymatic activity, gene expression and relation to drought susceptibility, FEBS LETTER, 492(3), 2001, pp. 242-246
Four cultivars of related species, common bean and cowpea, which exhibit di
fferent degrees of drought resistance, were submitted to water stress by wi
thholding irrigation, Drought induced an increase in endoproteolytic activi
ty, being higher in susceptible cultivars (bean) than in tolerant ones (cow
pea). An aspartic protease activity was found to be strongly induced especi
ally in bean. From a cowpea leaf cDNA library, a full length aspartic prote
ase precursor cDNA was obtained. Transcript accumulation in response to wat
er stress indicated that the expression of the gene mas constitutive in cow
pea and transcriptionally up-regulated in bean, The results showed that dro
ught-tolerant and drought-susceptible bean plants differ regarding aspartic
protease precursor gene expression. (C) 2001 Federation of European Bioche
mical Societies. Published by Elsevier Science B.V. All rights reserved.