ISOLATION AND EXPRESSION PATTERN OF HAHR1, A HOMEOBOX-CONTAINING CDNAFROM HELIANTHUS-ANNUUS

A 2.5 kb homeobox (HB)-containing cDNA (hahr1) was isolated from a lib rary prepared from rootlets of Helianthus annuus using a polymerase ch ain reaction (PCR)-based strategy. The putative protein product (77 kD a) contains the homeodomain (HD) and an acidic domain at the N-termina l region (residues 72-155). The deduced amino acid sequence of hahr1 s hares a 53% sequence identity with GLABRA2, a HD protein associated wi th epidermal cell differentiation. Hahr1 expression was primarily foun d in dry seeds, hypocotyls and roots at stages associated with early d evelopmental events. Expression was completely lacking in leaves and f lowers. Evidence for the existence of one related gene expressed in su nflower stems was obtained by the presence of restriction fragment len gth polymorphism of amplified cDNA products. (C) 1997 Elsevier Science B.V.