Molecular cloning and characterization of a novel RING zinc-finger protein gene up-regulated under in vitro salt stress in cassava

• Published in: Molecular biology reports 2012-06, Vol.39 (6), p.6513-6519
• Main Authors: dos Reis, Sávio Pinho, de Souza Conceição Tavares, Liliane, de Nazaré Monteiro Costa, Carinne, Brígida, Aílton Borges Santa, de Souza, Cláudia Regina Batista
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Adaptation, Physiological - genetics; Amino Acid Sequence; amino acid sequences; Animal Anatomy; Animal Biochemistry; Biomedical and Life Sciences; Calories; cassava; Cloning; Cloning, Molecular; complementary DNA; Crops; Developing countries; Flowers & plants; Food; gene expression regulation; Gene Expression Regulation, Plant; Genes; Histidine; Histology; Leaves; Life Sciences; Likelihood Functions; Manihot - genetics; Manihot - metabolism; Manihot - physiology; Manihot esculenta; Molecular biology; molecular cloning; Molecular Sequence Data; Morphology; nucleotide sequences; Phylogeny; plant proteins; Plant Proteins - chemistry; Plant Proteins - genetics; Plant Proteins - metabolism; Plant Roots - genetics; Plant Roots - metabolism; Polymerase chain reaction; Protein Structure, Tertiary; reverse transcriptase polymerase chain reaction; Roots; Salinity; salt stress; Salts; Sequence Analysis, DNA; Sequence Homology, Amino Acid; Sodium chloride; Sodium Chloride - chemistry; Stress; Stress analysis; Stress, Physiological; Transcription, Genetic; Transmembrane domains; Up-Regulation; Zinc; zinc finger motif; Zinc finger proteins; Zinc Fingers
• ISSN: 0301-4851; 1573-4978
• DOI: 10.1007/s11033-012-1479-1

Cassava (Manihot esculenta Crantz) is one of the world’s most important food crops. It is cultivated mainly in developing countries of tropics, since its root is a major source of calories for low-income people due to its high productivity and resistance to many abiotic and biotic factors. A previous study has identified a partial cDNA sequence coding for a putative RING zinc finger in cassava storage root. The RING zinc finger protein is a specialized type of zinc finger protein found in many organisms. Here, we isolated the full-length cDNA sequence coding for M. esculenta RZF (MeRZF) protein by a combination of 5′ and 3′ RACE assays. BLAST analysis showed that its deduced amino acid sequence has a high level of similarity to plant proteins of RZF family. MeRZF protein contains a signature sequence motif for a RING zinc finger at its C-terminal region. In addition, this protein showed a histidine residue at the fifth coordination site, likely belonging to the RING-H2 subgroup, as confirmed by our phylogenetic analysis. There is also a transmembrane domain in its N-terminal region. Finally, semi-quantitative RT-PCR assays showed that MeRZF expression is increased in detached leaves treated with sodium chloride. Here, we report the first evidence of a RING zinc finger gene of cassava showing potential role in response to salt stress.