Abstract
The aim of this research is the molecular and biochemical description of a new metabolic pathway in plants leading to the moybdenum cofactor (Moco). The Moco is a low-m.w. molybdopterin common to all molybdoenzymes with the exception of nitrogenase. It exhibits no catalytic activity on its own but becomes biologically active on association with an appropriate apoprotein. Nitrate reductase is the most important plant molybdoenzyme. — We applied the approach of functional complementation of Moco mutants of E.coli by a plant cDNA expression library and obtained a complete cDNA (2.3 kb) for a Moco gene of Arabidopsis thaliana complementing E.coli mogA. On the protein level, sequence comparisons of the Arabidopsis gene revealed homologies of > 30 % to three E.coli molybdenum cofactor proteins and homologies of > 40 % to proteins of an insect and of mammals. This cDNA was recloned into a plant expression vector and used for transient and stable transformations of the six tobacco Moco mutants cnxA to cnxF in order to complement the homologous locus. To our knowledge this cDNA is the first Moco gene isolated in plants.
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Mendel, R.R., Stallmeyer, B. (1995). Molybdenum Cofactor (Nitrate Reductase) Biosynthesis in Plants: First Molecular Analysis. In: Terzi, M., Cella, R., Falavigna, A. (eds) Current Issues in Plant Molecular and Cellular Biology. Current Plant Science and Biotechnology in Agriculture, vol 22. Springer, Dordrecht. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-94-011-0307-7_80
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-94-011-0307-7_80
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