Distinct Lhc mRNA stabilities in several vascular plant species

The light harvesting complex protein genes (Lhc) were among the first isola ted and characterized from vascular plants. Despite the accumulated knowled ge about their steady-state mRNA levels in various organs/tissues and under certain light qualities and regimes, limited information is available rega rding their transcription rates, and nothing is known about Lhc mRNA stabil ities. Steady-state mRNA accumulation patterns under constant conditions su ggested distinct Lhc mRNAs stabilities in various plant species. Decay stud ies with actinomycin D revealed half-life times of 3.8 hours in Lycopersico n esculentum (tomato), 2.5 hours in Spinacea oleracea (spinach), 24 hours i n Pinus sylvestris, and 37 hours in Ginkgo biloba. The presence of 'AUUUA'- destabilizing elements in the 3'UTR, free energy calculations of secondary structures, and simultaneous expression of the tomato and P. contorta Lhc g ene in transgenic tomato all support the notion that the intrinsic sequence s of the transcript contribute significantly to the distinct Lhc mRNA stabi lities present in different plant species.