Open AccessSequence analysis of ripening-related cytochrome P-450 cDNAs from avocado fruit.
Author(s) -
Kristin R. Bozak,
Hong Yu,
Reidun Sirevåg,
Rolf E. Christoffersen
Publication year - 1990
Publication title -
proceedings of the national academy of sciences of the united states of america
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 5.011
H-Index - 771
eISSN - 1091-6490
pISSN - 0027-8424
DOI - 10.1073/pnas.87.10.3904
Subject(s) - complementary dna , ripening , biology , biochemistry , microbiology and biotechnology , nucleic acid sequence , gene , northern blot , peptide sequence , sequence analysis , n terminus , messenger rna , botany
The ripening of avocado fruit is associated with the expression of a number of mRNAs concomitant with overt changes in texture and flavor. Two overlapping cDNAs for a mRNA that accumulates during ripening were identified. Sequence analysis of these two cDNAs revealed a polypeptide of 471 amino acids with characteristics of a typical P-450: an N-terminal hydrophobic membrane anchor, a conserved heme-binding domain in the C-terminal region, and patches of similarity to various P-450 family members. Further evidence that this polypeptide represents a cytochrome P-450 oxidase comes from the recent isolation and characterization of a cytochrome P-450 from ripe avocado mesocarp [O'Keefe, D. P. & Leto, K. J. (1989) Plant Physiol. 89, 1141-1149]. The N terminus of the predicted polypeptide in the cDNAs is identical to the N terminus of the purified avocado P-450. Gel blot analysis of RNA from fruit at various stages of ripening showed the accumulation of an 1800-nucleotide P-450 mRNA that hybridized to the P-450 cDNA. The P-450 protein predicted by the avocado cDNA sequence shares less than 40% positional identity with any known P-450 gene family. We propose therefore that it be placed in a separate family, P450LXXI, and that the corresponding gene from avocado be named cyp71A1.