Abstract
We have identified a number of genes of the flowering plant Arabidopsis thaliana that are abundantly expressed during embryogenesis. In this paper we discuss four of these genes, which comprise a gene family: complete genomic nucleotide sequence of two of the genes and partial sequence of the other two shows that they are all homologous to the 12S globulin seed storage protein genes of other angiosperms. The four genes fall into three subfamilies, as defined by cross-hybridization. One subfamily contains two genes in the Landsberg erecta strain, but only a single gene in the Columbia strain of Arabidopsis. The other two of these 12S gene subfamilies contain only single genes in both strains. Thus, the seed storage protein gene family in Arabidopsis appears much simpler than that in other higher plants.
These genes are expressed during the latter half of embryogenesis, a period in which abscisic acid (ABA) is thought to play a role in gene regulation, and known to play a role in seed physiology. We observed no significant difference in the expression profiles of these four genes in ABA-deficient and ABA-insensitive mutants of Arabidopsis, except that the onset of detectable expression of all of the transcripts is slightly delayed in both types of mutants.
Similar content being viewed by others
References
Blobel G, Dobberstein B: Transfer of proteins across membranes I. Presence of proteolytically processed and unprocessed nascent immunoglobulin light chains on membrane-bound ribosomes of murine myeloma. J Cell Biol 67: 835–851 (1975).
Borroto K, DureIII L: The globulin seed storage proteins of flowering plants are derived from two ancestral genes. Plant Mol Biol 8: 113–131 (1987).
Bown D, Levasseur M, Croy RRD, Boulter D, Gatehouse JA: Sequence for a pseudogene in the legumin gene family of pea (Pisum sativum L.). Nucl Acids Res 13: 4527–4538 (1985).
Bray EA, Beachy RN: Regulation by ABA of β-conglycinin expression in cultured developing soybean cotyledons. Plant Physiol 79: 746–750 (1985).
Casey R, Domoney C: The structure of plant storage protein genes. Plant Mol Biol Reporter 5: 261–281 (1987).
Chang C, Meyerowitz EM: Molecular cloning and DNA sequence of the Arabidopsis thaliana alcohol dehydrogenase gene. Proc Natl Acad Sci USA 83: 1408–1412 (1986).
Chlan CA, Pyle JB, Legocki AB, DureIII L: Developmental biochemistry of cottonseed embryogenesis and germination XVIII cDNA and amino acid sequences of members of the storage protein families. Plant Mol Biol 7: 475–489 (1986).
Crosby MJ, Meyerowitz EM: Drosophila glue gene Sgs-3: Sequences required for puffing and transcriptional regulation. Dev Biol 118: 593–607 (1986).
Crouch ML, Sussex IM: Development and storage-protein synthesis in Brassica napus L. embryos in vivo and in vitro. Planta 153: 64–74 (1981).
Davis RW, Botstein D, Roth JR: Advanced Bacterial Genetics. Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory, Cold Spring Harbor, NY (1980).
11.Dhaese P, DeGreve H, Geilen J, Seurinck J, VanMontagu M, Schell J: Identification of sequences involved in the polyadenylation of higher plant nuclear transcripts using Agrobacterium T-DNA genes as models. EMBO J 2: 419–426 (1983).
Domoney C, Barker D, Casey R: The complete deduced amino acid sequences of legumin β-polypeptides from different genetic loci in Pisum. Plant Mol Biol 7: 467–474 (1986).
Eisenberg AJ, Mascarenhas JP: Abscisic acid and the regulation of synthesis of specific seed proteins and their messenger RNAs during culture of soybean embryos. Planta 166: 505–514 (1985).
Finkelstein RR, Tenbarge KM, Shumway JE, Crouch ML: Role of ABA in maturation of rapeseed embryos. Plant Physiol 78: 630–636 (1985).
Finkelstein R, Somerville C: Analysis of the mechanisms of abscisic acid action using ABA-insensitive mutants of Arabidopsis. In: Third International Meeting on Arabidopsis, Michigan State University, East Lansing, 1987. Abstract 138.
Fischer RL, Goldberg RB: Structure and flanking regions of soybean seed protein genes. Cell 29: 651–660 (1982).
Galau GA, Huges DW and Dure LIII: Abscisic acid induction of cloned cotton late embryogenesis-abundant (Lea) mRNAs. Plant Mol Biol 7: 155–170 (1986).
Heath JD, Weldon R, Monnot C, Meinke DW: Analysis of storage proteins in normal and aborted seeds from embryolethal mutants of Arabidopsis thaliana. Planta 169: 304–312 (1986).
Higgins TJV: Synthesis and regulation of major proteins in seeds. Ann Rev Plant Physiol 35: 191–221 (1984).
Karssen CM, Brinkhorst-van der Swan DLC, Breekland AE, Koornneef M: Induction of dormancy during seed development by endogenous abscisic acid: studies on abscisic acid deficient genotypes of Arabidopsis thaliana (L.) Heynh. Planta 157: 158–165 (1983).
Koornneef M, Jorna ML, Brinkhorst-van der Swan DLC, Karssen CM: The isolation of abscisic acid (ABA) deficient mutants by selection of induced revertants in nongerminating gibberellin sensitive lines of Arabidopsis thaliana (L.) Heynh. Theor Appl Genet 6: 385–393 (1982).
Koornneef M, Reuling G, Karssen CM: The isolation and characterization of abscisic acid-insensitive mutants of Arabidopsis thaliana. Physiol Plant 61: 377–383 (1984).
Leutwiler LS, Meyerowitz EM: Structure and expression of three light harvesting chlorophyll a/b-binding protein genes in Arabidopsis thaliana. Nucl Acids Res 14: 4051–4064 (1986).
Lycett GW, Croy RRD, Shirsat AH, Boulter D: The complete sequence of a legumin gene from pea (Pisum sativum L.). Nucl Acids Res 12: 4493–4506 (1984).
Lycett GW, Croy RRD, Shirsat AH, Richards DM, Boulter D: The 5′-flanking regions of three pea legumin genes: comparison of the DNA sequences. Nucl Acids Res 13: 6733–6743 (1985).
Marco YA, Thanh VH, Tumer NE, Scallon BJ, Nielsen NC: Cloning and structural analysis of DNA encoding an A2B1a subunit of glycinin. J Biol Chem 259: 13436–13441 (1984).
Maxam AM, Gilbert W: Sequencing end-labeled DNA with base-specific chemical cleavages. Meth Enzymol 65: 499–560 (1980).
Messing J, Geraghty D, Heidecker G, Hu N-T, Kirdl J, Rubenstein I: Plant gene structure: In: Kosuge T, Meredith CP, Hollaender A (eds) Genetic Engineering of Plants, pp. 221–227. Plenum, New York (1983).
Meyerowitz EM: In situ hybridization of RNA in plant tissue. Plant Mol Biol Reporter 5: 242–250 (1987).
Meyerowitz EM: Arabidopsis thaliana. Ann Rev Genet 21: 93–111 (1987).
Meyerowitz EM, Martin CH: Adjacent chromosomal regions can evolve at very different rates: evolution of the Drosophila 68C glue gene cluster. J Mol Evol 20: 251–264 (1984).
Pernollet J-C: Protein bodies of seeds: ultrastructure, biochemistry, biosynthesis and degradation. Phytochemistry 17: 1473–1480 (1978).
Pruitt RE, Meyerowitz EM: Characterization of the genome of Arabidopsis thaliana. J Mol Biol 187: 169–183 (1986).
Rigby PWJ, Dieckmann M, Rhodes C, Berg P: Labeling deoxyribonucleic acid to high specific activity in vitro by nick translation with DNA polymerase I. J Mol Biol 113: 237–251 (1977).
Sanger F, Nicklen S, Coulson AR: DNA sequencing with chain-terminating inhibitors. Proc Natl Acad Sci USA 74: 5463–5467 (1977).
Scallon B, Thanh VH, Floener LA, Nielson NC: Identification and characterization of DNA clones encoding group II glycinin subunits. Theor Appl Genet 70: 510–519 (1985).
Simon AE, Tenbarge KM, Scofield SR, Finkelstein RR, Crouch ML: Nucleotide sequence of a cDNA clone of Brassica napus 12S storage protein shows homology with legumin from Pisum sativum. Plant Mol Biol 5: 191–201 (1985).
Shure M, Wessler S, Fedoroff N: Molecular identification and isolation of the Waxy locus in maize. Cell. 35: 225–233 (1983).
Walton DC: Biochemistry and physiology of abscisic acid. Ann Rev Plant Physiol 31: 453–489 (1980).
Wobus U, Bäumlein H, Bassüner R, Heim U, Jung R, Muntz K, Saalbach G, Weschke W: Characteristics of two types of legumin genes in the field bean (Vicia faba L. var. minor) genome as revealed by cDNA analysis. FEBS Lett 201: 74–80 (1986).
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Pang, P.P., Pruitt, R.E. & Meyerowitz, E.M. Molecular cloning, genomic organization, expression and evolution of 12S seed storage protein genes of Arabidopsis thaliana . Plant Mol Biol 11, 805–820 (1988). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00019521
Received:
Accepted:
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00019521