Molecular Cloning and Expression Analysis of a MADS-Box Gene (<i>GbMADS2</i>) from <i>Ginkgo biloba

• Main Authors: Xiaohui WANG, Junhuan CHENG, Feng XU, Xingxiang LI, Weiwei ZHANG, Yongling LIAO, Shuiyuan CHENG, Xianbin LI
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Published: AcademicPres 2015-04-01
• Series: Notulae Botanicae Horti Agrobotanici Cluj-Napoca
• Online Access: http://www.notulaebotanicae.ro/index.php/nbha/article/view/9760
• ISSN: 0255-965X; 1842-4309

As a kind of transcription factors gene family, MADS-box genes play an important role in plant development processes. To find genes involved in the floral transition of <i>Ginkgo biloba</i>, a MADS-box gene, designated as <i style='mso-bidi-font-style:normal'>GbMADS2<span style='mso-bidi-font-style: italic'>, </span></i>was cloned from <i>G. biloba </i>based on EST sequences by RT-PCR. Sequence analysis results showed that the cDNA sequence of <i style='mso-bidi-font-style:normal'>GbMADS2</i> contained a 663 bp length ORF encoding 221 amino acids protein, which displayed typical structure of plant MADS-box protein including MADS, I, and K domains and C terminus. The sequence of <span style='mso-bidi-font-style: italic'>GbMADS2 </span>protein was highly homologous to those of MADS-box proteins from other plant species with the highest homologous to <span style='mso-bidi-font-style:italic'>AGAMOUS<i> </i></span>(</span><span lang=EN-US style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Garamond Premr Pro","serif"; mso-bidi-font-family:"Garamond Premr Pro Subh";color:black'>CyAG)<span style='mso-bidi-font-weight:bold'> from </span><i>Cycas revoluta</i><span style='mso-bidi-font-weight:bold'>. The phylogenetic tree analysis revealed that <i style='mso-bidi-font-style:normal'>GbMADS2 </i>belonged to <st1:stockticker w:st="on"><i>AGAM</i></st1:stockticker><i>OUS</i> clade genes. </span>Real-time PCR analysis indicated that expression levels of <i>GbMADS2</i> gene in female and male flower were significantly higher than those in root, stem, and leaves, and that <i>GbMADS2</i> expression level increased along with time of flower development. The spatial and time-course expression profile of <i>GbMADS2 </i>implied that <i>GbMADS2</i> might be involved in development of reproductive organs. The isolation and expression analysis of <i>GbMADS2</i> provided basis for further studying the molecular mechanism of flower development in <istyle='mso-bidi-font-style:normal'>G. biloba</i>.