Biopolym. Cell. 2007; 23(5):398-404.
Structure and Function of Biopolymers
Cloning and analysis of defensin 1 cDNA from Scots pine
1Kovalyova V. A., 2Gout I. T., 3Kiyamova R. G., 3Filonenko V. V., 1Gout R. T.
  1. National Forestry University of Ukraine
    103, General Chuprynky, Lviv, Ukraine, 79057
  2. Institute of Molecular Biology and Genetics, NAS of Ukraine
    150, Akademika Zabolotnoho Str., Kyiv, Ukraine, 03680
  3. University College London
    Gower Str., London WC1E 6BT, UK

Abstract

Antifungal protein with a molecular weight 5.6 kDa was purified from 7-days old Scots pine seedlings. LC-MS/MS analysis revealed this protein to belong to plant defensins. A pine defensin 1 cDNA (PsDef1), 252 b. p. long, was obtained by PCR amplification from Pinus sylvestris L. cDNA library and was cloned into vector pET 23d(+). PsDef1 cDNA encodes 83-amino acid protein with 33-amino acid N-terminal signal peptide. The mature protein is characterized by the presence of specific conserved residues common to all plant defensins. Structural and functional similarity between PsDef1 and defensins of group 1 has been shown.
Keywords: Scots pine, defensin PsDef1, molecular cloning

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