title: Structural characterization of the dihydroflavonol 4-reductase B (DFR-B) gene in the sweet potato.
abstract: A genomic fragment containing the dihydroflavonol 4-reductase B (DFR-B) gene was cloned from the sweet potato (Ipomoea batatas) and its nucleotide sequence was analyzed. The exons and flanking regions were highly homologous to those of previously reported DFR-B genes of the Japanese morning glory, whereas the introns and the intergenic region were less conserved. In addition to the sequences of three miniature inverted-repeat transposable elements (MITEs) and one direct repeat previously reported in the DFR-B gene of Japanese morning glory, two mobile element-like sequences were newly identified in the sweet potato DFR-B gene. At least four allelic sequences were found to exist by amplification of the DFR-B gene from various sweet potato cultivars. One of these allelic sequences had a 2-kb deletion in the intergenic region and was observed in the cultivars with high anthocyanin content in their storage roots.
authors.affiliation: Department of Upland Farming Research, National Agricultural Research Center for Kyushu Okinawa Region, Yokoichi 6651-2, Miyakonojo, Miyazaki 885-0091, Japan. mtanaka@affrc.go.jp
authors.forename: Masaru
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Tanaka
authors.forename: Makoto
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Nakatani
authors.forename: Yoshinori
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Nakazawa
authors.forename: Yasuhiro
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Takahata
mesh_terms: D000429:Alcohol Oxidoreductases / Q000235:genetics* / Q000378:metabolism; D001483:Base Sequence; D003001:Cloning, Molecular; D004251:DNA Transposable Elements; D018628:Gene Dosage; D027723:Ipomoea batatas / Q000201:enzymology / Q000235:genetics* / Q000378:metabolism; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D010802:Phylogeny; D011110:Polymorphism, Genetic; D017422:Sequence Analysis, DNA
chemical_list: D004251:DNA Transposable Elements; D000429:Alcohol Oxidoreductases; C056570:dihydroflavanol 4-reductase