title: Cloning and expression of transaldolase from potato.
abstract: We have isolated a cDNA encoding transaldolase, an enzyme of the pentose-phosphate pathway, from potato (Solanum tuberosum). The 1.5 kb cDNA encodes a protein of 438 amino acid residues with a molecular mass of 47.8 kDa. When the potato cDNA was expressed in Escherichia coli a 45 kDa protein with transaldolase activity was produced. The first 62 amino acids of the deduced amino acid sequence represent an apparent plastid transit sequence. While the potato transaldolase has considerable similarity to the enzyme from cyanobacteria and Mycobacterium leprae, similarity to the conserved transaldolase enzymes from humans, E. coli and Saccharomyces cerevisiae is more limited. Northern analysis indicated that the transaldolase mRNA accumulated in tubers in response to wounding. Probing the RNA from various potato tissues indicated that the transaldolase mRNA accumulation to higher levels in the stem of mature potato plants than in either leaves or tubers. These data are consistent with a role for this enzyme in lignin biosynthesis.
authors.affiliation: United States Department of Agriculture, Western Regional Research Center, Albany, CA 94710, USA.
authors.forename: C P
authors.initials: CP
authors.lastname: Moehs
authors.forename: P V
authors.initials: PV
authors.lastname: Allen
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Friedman
authors.forename: W R
authors.initials: WR
authors.lastname: Belknap
mesh_terms: D000595:Amino Acid Sequence; D001483:Base Sequence; D003001:Cloning, Molecular; D018076:DNA, Complementary / Q000235:genetics; D004926:Escherichia coli / Q000235:genetics; D018506:Gene Expression Regulation, Plant / Q000502:physiology*; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D018087:Plastids; D012333:RNA, Messenger / Q000032:analysis; D018749:RNA, Plant / Q000032:analysis; D011993:Recombinant Fusion Proteins; D017386:Sequence Homology, Amino Acid; D011198:Solanum tuberosum / Q000201:enzymology / Q000235:genetics*; D014153:Transaldolase / Q000235:genetics* / Q000378:metabolism
chemical_list: D018076:DNA, Complementary; D012333:RNA, Messenger; D018749:RNA, Plant; D011993:Recombinant Fusion Proteins; D014153:Transaldolase