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The isolation, characterization and sequence of two divergent β-tubulin genes from soybean (Glycine max L.)

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Abstract

Two divergent β-tubulin genes (designated Sβ-1 and Sβ-2) were isolated by screening a soybean genomic library with a Chlamydomonas reinhardtii β-tubulin cDNA probe. Restriction fragment analysis of the clones recovered, and of soybean genomic DNA, indicated that these represent two unique classes of structurally different β-tubulin genes in the soybean genome. However, it is possible that unidentified members of these classes or additional highly divergent classes of β-tubulin genes (thus far undetected) exist in the soybean genome. The Sβ-1 and Sβ-2 genomic clones were sequenced, revealing that both are potentially functional genes which would encode β-tubulins of 445 and 449 amino acids, respectively. A comparison of their derived amino acid sequences with β-tubulins from several organisms showed that they are most homologous to Chlamydomonas β-tubulin (85–87%), with lesser degrees of homology to β-tubulins of vertebrate species (79–83%), Trypanosoma brucei (80–81%) and Saccharomyces cerevisiae (66–68%). The amino acid sequences of Sβ-1 and Sβ-2 are as divergent from each other as they are from the Chlamydomonas β-tubulin. The amino acids at the diverged positions in Sβ-2 are nearly all conservative substitutions while in Sβ-1, 18 of the 69 substitutions were non-conservative. Both soybean β-tubulin genes contain two introns in exactly the same positions. The first soybean intron is located in the same position as the third intron of the Chlamydomonas β-tubulin genes. Codon usage in the two soybean β-tubulins is remarkably similar (D 2=0.87), but differs from codon usage in other soybean genes.

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Author notes

  1. Mark J. Guiltinan & Mauricio M. Bustos

    Present address: Texas A&M University, 77843, College Station, TX, USA

  2. Din Pow Ma

    Present address: Mississippi State University, 93762, Starkville, MS, USA

  3. Richard F. Barker

    Present address: Sequencing Systems Limited, Cambridge, England

  4. Richard J. Cyr

    Present address: University of Georgia, 30602, Athens, GA, USA

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Developmental and Cell Biology, University of California, 92717, Irvine, CA, USA

    Mark J. Guiltinan, Din Pow Ma, Richard F. Barker, Mauricio M. Bustos, Richard J. Cyr, Ramin Yadegari & Donald E. Fosket

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  1. Mark J. Guiltinan
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Guiltinan, M.J., Ma, D.P., Barker, R.F. et al. The isolation, characterization and sequence of two divergent β-tubulin genes from soybean (Glycine max L.). Plant Mol Biol 10, 171–184 (1987). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00016154

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00016154

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