title: Purification and PCR-based cDNA cloning of a plastidial n-6 desaturase.
abstract: A plastidial membrane-bound n-6 desaturase from spinach (Spinacia oleracea) was purified from chloroplast envelope membranes by anion exchange, cation exchange and ferredoxin-affinity chromatography. The molecular mass of the protein was estimated by SDS-PAGE to be 40 kDa. The highest specific activity of the desaturase in the final preparation was 196 nmol/min per mg protein with free oleic acid as the substrate. The N-terminal amino acid sequence of the blotted protein was determined and used for the construction of a degenerated and inosine-containing oligonucleotide primer for PCR experiments with cDNA transcribed from leaf mRNA. A 3'-RACE experiment with this primer amplified a single band of 1500 bp that after sequencing showed an open reading frame of 382 amino acids corresponding to a protein of 43 kDa. The 5' end of the cDNA was amplified by a 5'-RACE experiment and isolated as a 500 bp fragment. Sequencing of this DNA revealed an additional 65 amino acids at the N-terminus of the native protein that are attributed to a plastidial leader peptide. With appropriate primers derived from these sequences a full-length clone was amplified by PCR and sequenced. Comparison of the plastidial oleate desaturase with the homologous enzyme from cyanobacteria showed about 50% amino acid homology. Comparison with other desaturases revealed three histidine boxes with the general sequence HXXXH that are highly conserved in all membrane-bound desaturases. These boxes might be involved in metal ion complexation required for reduction of oxygen.
authors.affiliation: Institut für Allgemeine Botanik, Universität Hamburg, Germany.
authors.forename: H
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Schmidt
authors.forename: T
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Dresselhaus
authors.forename: F
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Buck
authors.forename: E
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Heinz
mesh_terms: D000595:Amino Acid Sequence; D001483:Base Sequence; D002736:Chloroplasts / Q000201:enzymology; D002846:Chromatography, Affinity; D002852:Chromatography, Ion Exchange; D003001:Cloning, Molecular / Q000379:methods; D017931:DNA Primers; D018076:DNA, Complementary / Q000096:biosynthesis / Q000302:isolation & purification*; D004591:Electrophoresis, Polyacrylamide Gel; D044943:Fatty Acid Desaturases / Q000096:biosynthesis / Q000302:isolation & purification*; D007700:Kinetics; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D008970:Molecular Weight; D010802:Phylogeny; D018515:Plant Leaves / Q000201:enzymology; D018087:Plastids / Q000201:enzymology*; D016133:Polymerase Chain Reaction / Q000379:methods; D012333:RNA, Messenger / Q000096:biosynthesis / Q000378:metabolism; D017386:Sequence Homology, Amino Acid; D018724:Spinacia oleracea / Q000201:enzymology* / Q000235:genetics
chemical_list: D017931:DNA Primers; D018076:DNA, Complementary; D012333:RNA, Messenger; D044943:Fatty Acid Desaturases; C040448:delta-12 fatty acid desaturase