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A tobacco flower-specific gene encodes a polyphenol oxidase

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Abstract

Identification of pistil-expressed genes is an important step in understanding pistil development and function in plant reproduction. A tobacco stigma/style cDNA library was differentially screened and several cDNA clones were isolated. One of these tobacco genes, designated tobP1, is characterized here. TobP1 encodes a protein highly homologous to plant polyphenol oxidases. Northern blot analysis of total RNA extracted from different organs and probed with tobP1 cDNA identified a single transcript that is exclusively present in flower organs (petals, stamens, and predominantly in pistils). The tobP1 gene is co-ordinately regulated during development in pistils and stamens, and is not induced in mature leaves even under stress conditions. TobP1 belongs to a multigene family, as reported for PPO in other plant species.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Depto. C. Morfológicas FORP/, Universidade de São Paulo, Av. do Café s/no., Ribeirão Preto, SP 14040-904, Brazil

    Maria Helena S. Goldman & Mozart Marins

  2. Plant Genetic Systems NV, Jozef Plateaustraat 22, 9000, Gent, Belgium

    Jef Seurinck

  3. Depto. C. Farmacêuticas FCFRP/, Universidade de São Paulo, Av. do Café s/no., Ribeirão Preto, SP 14040-903, Brazil

    Gustavo H. Goldman

  4. Dept. of Experimental Botany, Catholic University of Nijmegen, Toernoiveld 1, 6525 ED, Nijmegen, Netherlands

    Celestina Mariani

Authors
  1. Maria Helena S. Goldman
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  2. Jef Seurinck
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  3. Mozart Marins
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  4. Gustavo H. Goldman
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  5. Celestina Mariani
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Goldman, M.H.S., Seurinck, J., Marins, M. et al. A tobacco flower-specific gene encodes a polyphenol oxidase. Plant Mol Biol 36, 479–485 (1998). https://doi.org/10.1023/A:1005914918284

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1023/A:1005914918284

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