title: Cloning and expression analysis of cysteine protease gene (MwCP) in Agropyron mongolicum Keng.
abstract: In this study, a cysteine protease gene (MwCP) from Agropyron mongolicum Keng was isolated using RACE. Sequence analysis indicated that MwCP was 1473 bp, and it contained a 1134-bp open reading frame, which encoded 377 amino acids with a 24-amino acid N-terminal signal peptide. The results indicated that the MwCP protein was a new member of the papain C1A family, and it was predicted to be an extracellular, secretory stable hydrophilic protein. The secondary structure of MwCP was mainly composed of α-helices and random coils, and the space structure primarily contained α-helices, β-sheets, and β-turns. Homology analyses showed the 98% homology between MwCP amino acids and a cysteine protease found in Triticum aestivum (GenBank accession No. AAW21813.1). Analysis of mRNA using semi-quantitative RT-PCR indicated that during a 48-h drought stress period, MwCP was expressed during the 4th hour, and the expression level peaked during the 6th hour before declining to the original level. The results revealed that MwCP was involved in drought-resistant physiological processes of A. mongolicum. Moreover, the MwCP expression levels were highest in leaves, intermediate in roots, and lowest in stems.
authors.affiliation: College of Agronomy, Agricultural University of Hebei, Baoding, China.|College of Animal Science and Technology, Agricultural University of Hebei, Baoding, China.
authors.forename: T G B Y
authors.initials: TG
authors.lastname: Ao
authors.affiliation: College of Life Sciences, Agricultural University of Hebei, Baoding, China.
authors.forename: M L
authors.initials: ML
authors.lastname: Lang
authors.affiliation: College of Animal Science and Technology, Agricultural University of Hebei, Baoding, China.
authors.forename: Y Q
authors.initials: YQ
authors.lastname: Li
authors.affiliation: College of Agronomy, Agricultural University of Hebei, Baoding, China.
authors.forename: Y
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Zhao
authors.affiliation: College of Agronomy, Agricultural University of Hebei, Baoding, China.
authors.forename: L C
authors.initials: LC
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.affiliation: College of Agronomy, Agricultural University of Hebei, Baoding, China.|College of Life Sciences, Agricultural University of Hebei, Baoding, China.|Key Laboratory of Crop Germplasm in Hebei Province, Agricultural University of Hebei, Baoding, China.
authors.forename: X J
authors.initials: XJ
authors.lastname: Yang
mesh_terms: D000222:Adaptation, Physiological; D031702:Agropyron / Q000201:enzymology* / Q000235:genetics / Q000502:physiology; D000595:Amino Acid Sequence; D001483:Base Sequence; D003001:Cloning, Molecular; D057056:Cysteine Proteases / Q000737:chemistry / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*; D055864:Droughts; D018506:Gene Expression Regulation, Plant; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D010802:Phylogeny; D035261:Plant Components, Aerial / Q000378:metabolism; D018517:Plant Roots / Q000378:metabolism; D017433:Protein Structure, Secondary; D012333:RNA, Messenger; D016415:Sequence Alignment; D017386:Sequence Homology, Amino Acid
chemical_list: D012333:RNA, Messenger; D057056:Cysteine Proteases