Electronic Journal of Biotechnology ISSN: 0717-3458  
© 2010 by Pontificia Universidad Católica de Valparaíso -- Chile  
   
RESEARCH ARTICLE

Molecular characterization and transcriptome profiling of EXPANSIN genes isolated from Calotropis procera fibers

Hafiza Masooma Naseer Cheema
University of Agriculture
Faisalabad, Pakistan

Aftab Bashir*
National Institute for Biotechnology and Genetic Engineering
Jhang Road Faisalabad 3800-Pakistan
E-mail: aftabbashir@nibge.org

Asia Khatoon
National Institute for Biotechnology and Genetic Engineering
Jhang Road Faisalabad 3800, Pakistan

Nadia Iqbal
National Institute for Biotechnology and Genetic Engineering
Jhang Road Faisalabad 3800, Pakistan

Yusuf Zafar
National Institute for Biotechnology and Genetic Engineering
Jhang Road Faisalabad 3800, Pakistan

Kauser A. Malik
Department of Biological Sciences
F.C. College University
Lahore, Pakistan

*Corresponding author

Keywords: Calotropis procera, cDNA library, cotton fibers, EXPANSIN A, signal peptide, transcriptome profiling.

Abstract    

The Calotropis procera seed fibers provide an excellent model system to study the genes involved in fiber elongation, fineness and strength. EXPANSINs constitute one of the important gene families involved in plant cell expansion and other cell wall modification processes. Four homologs of EXPANSIN A gene i.e. CpEXPA 1, CpEXPA 2, CpEXPA 3 and CpEXPA 4 were isolated from the cDNA library obtained from fast growing Calotropis procera fibers. These homologs represented typical EXPANSIN A family. Each of them had two conserved domains including GH45 like domain and the putative polysaccharide binding domain. The deduced amino acid sequences of the homologs indicated three conserved motifs: i) eight cysteine residues at N-terminus, ii) four tryptophan residues at C-terminus and iii) a Histidine-Phenylalanine-Aspartate motif in the center of the sequence. The presence of N-terminal signal peptide consisting of hydrophobic aminoacids and a transmembrane region in all these EXPANSIN isoforms suggests their cotranslational insertion into the endoplasmic reticulum and then transportation to the cell wall by secretory pathway. The relative quantification of the four EXPANSIN s in root, stem, fiber and leave tissues indicated that the transcripts of CpEXPA1 , CpEXPA2, CpEXPA3 and CpEXPA4 are variably transcribed in these tissues. The lowest transcription of all the four EXPANSIN A isoforms was observed in elongating roots indicating that root tissue might be having specific EXPANSIN s other than those confined to air grown organs.

Supported by UNESCO / MIRCEN network