title: A corm-specific gene encodes tarin, a major globulin of taro (Colocasia esculenta L. Schott).
abstract: A gene encoding a globulin from a major taro (Colocasia esculenta L. Schott) corm protein family, tarin (G1, ca. 28 kDa) was isolated from a lambda Charon 35 library, using a cDNA derived from a highly abundant corm-specific mRNA, as probe. The gene, named tar1, and the corresponding cDNA were characterized and compared. No introns were found. The major transcription start site was determined by primer extension analysis. The gene has an open reading frame (ORF) of 765 bp, and the deduced amino acid sequence indicated a precursor polypeptide of 255 residues that is post-translationally processed into two subunits of about 12.5 kDa each. The deduced protein is 45% homologous to curculin, a sweet-tasting protein found in the fruit pulp of Curculigo latifolia and 40% homologous to a mannose-binding lectin from Galanthus nivalis. Significant similarity was also found at the nucleic acid sequence level with genes encoding lectins from plant species of the Amaryllidaceae and Lilliaceae families.
authors.affiliation: EMBRAPA/National Center of Genetic Resource and Biotechnology, SAIN Parque Rural, Brasília, DF, Brazil.
authors.forename: I C
authors.initials: IC
authors.lastname: Bezerra
authors.forename: L A
authors.initials: LA
authors.lastname: Castro
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Neshich
authors.forename: E R
authors.initials: ER
authors.lastname: de Almeida
authors.forename: M F
authors.initials: MF
authors.lastname: de Sá
authors.forename: L V
authors.initials: LV
authors.lastname: Mello
authors.forename: D C
authors.initials: DC
authors.lastname: Monte-Neshich
mesh_terms: D000595:Amino Acid Sequence; D001483:Base Sequence; D027801:Galanthus; D017343:Genes, Plant / Q000235:genetics*; D015698:Genomic Library; D005916:Globulins / Q000737:chemistry / Q000235:genetics* / Q000302:isolation & purification / Q000502:physiology; D037102:Lectins / Q000235:genetics; D037241:Mannose-Binding Lectins; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D037121:Plant Lectins; D010940:Plant Proteins / Q000737:chemistry / Q000235:genetics* / Q000302:isolation & purification / Q000502:physiology; D018547:Plant Stems / Q000235:genetics*; D018749:RNA, Plant / Q000235:genetics; D012641:Selection, Genetic; D017422:Sequence Analysis, DNA; D017386:Sequence Homology, Amino Acid; D014018:Tissue Distribution; D014675:Vegetables / Q000235:genetics*
chemical_list: D005916:Globulins; D037102:Lectins; D037241:Mannose-Binding Lectins; D037121:Plant Lectins; D010940:Plant Proteins; D018749:RNA, Plant; C094238:TAR1 protein, Colocasia esculenta; C065630:curculin; C063117:snowdrop lectin