title: Isolation and characterization of new MIKC*-Type MADS-box genes from the moss Physcomitrella patens.
abstract: MADS-box genes encode for a large family of transcription-regulating proteins, which were isolated from all groups of eukaryotic organisms. The plant-specific MIKC-type MADS-box genes have been intensively analyzed for their roles in controlling developmental processes. Well-known are the MADS-box genes acting as homeotic selector genes in the differentiation of whorls of floral organs in seed plants. The MADS-box gene family has also been studied in non-flowering plants, such as lycophytes, pteridophytes, and bryophytes. The analysis of MADS-box genes in the moss Physcomitrella patens led to the identification of a new class of MIKC-type genes, designated as MIKC*-type genes. The MIKC*-type genes possess a number of structural features which clearly distinguish them from the already known MIKC-type genes. Recently, orthologues of the Physcomitrella MIKC*-type genes were found in Arabidopsis thaliana, demonstrating the conservation of these genes in tracheophytes. Here, we report the isolation of two new MIKC*-type MADS-box genes from Physcomitrella. Structural features and expression patterns of these genes were analyzed. The contribution of our findings to a better understanding of the evolution of MIKC*-type genes in land plants is discussed.
authors.affiliation: Abteilung Molekulare Pflanzengenetik, Max-Planck-Institut für Züchtungsforschung, Carl-von-Linné-Weg 10, 50829 Köln, Germany.
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Riese
authors.forename: W
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Faigl
authors.forename: V
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Quodt
authors.forename: W
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Verelst
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Matthes
authors.forename: H
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Saedler
authors.forename: T
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Münster
mesh_terms: D000595:Amino Acid Sequence; D001483:Base Sequence; D019068:Bryopsida / Q000145:classification / Q000235:genetics*; D002874:Chromosome Mapping; D003001:Cloning, Molecular; D017931:DNA Primers; D018076:DNA, Complementary; D018744:DNA, Plant / Q000235:genetics / Q000302:isolation & purification; D018745:Genome, Plant; D026161:MADS Domain Proteins / Q000235:genetics*; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D010802:Phylogeny; D010940:Plant Proteins / Q000235:genetics*; D020133:Reverse Transcriptase Polymerase Chain Reaction; D016415:Sequence Alignment; D017386:Sequence Homology, Amino Acid
chemical_list: D017931:DNA Primers; D018076:DNA, Complementary; D018744:DNA, Plant; D026161:MADS Domain Proteins; D010940:Plant Proteins