Skip to main content
SpringerLink
Log in

Structure and expression of three genes encoding ACC oxidase homologs from melon (Cucumis melo L.)

  • Original Paper
  • Published:
Molecular and General Genetics MGG Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

The enzyme ACC oxidase catalyses the last step of ethylene biosynthesis in plants, converting 1-aminocyclopropane-1-carboxylic acid (ACC) to ethylene. We have previously described the isolation and characterization of a cDNA clone (pMEL1) encoding an ACC oxidase homolog from melon (Cucumis melo L.). Here we report the isolation and characterization of three genomic clones, corresponding to three putative members of the ACC oxidase gene family in melon. All are transcriptionally active. The sequences of these genes have been determined. One genomic clone (CM-ACO1), corresponding to the cDNA previously isolated, presents a coding region interrupted by three introns. Its transcription initiation site has been defined with RNA from ripe fruit and ethylene-treated leaves. The other two genes (CM-ACO2, CM-ACO3) have only two introns, at positions identical to their counterparts inCM-ACO1. The degree of DNA homology in the coding regions ofCM-ACO2 andCM-ACO3 relative toCM-ACO1 is 59% and 75%, respectively.CM-ACO2 andCM-ACO3 are 59% homologous in their coding regions. These three genes have close homology toPH-ACO3, a member of the ACC oxidase multigene family of petunia. The predicted amino acid sequences of CM-ACO1 and CM-ACO3 are 77% to 81% identical to those encoded by the tomato and petunia genes, while the deduced amino acid sequence ofCM-ACO2 shows only 42% to 45% homology. RT-PCR analysis using gene-specific primers shows that the three genes are differentially expressed during development, ethylene treatment and wounding.CM-ACO1 is induced in ripe fruit and in response to wounding and to ethylene treatment in leaves.CM-ACO2 is detectable at low level in etiolated hypocotyls.CM-ACO3 is expressed in flowers and is not induced by any of the stimuli tested.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Log in via an institution

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Institutional subscriptions

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  • Abeles FB, Morgan PW, Saltveit Jr ME (1992) Ethylene in plant biology (2nd edn). Academic Press, San Diego

    Google Scholar 

  • Ayub R, Bouzayen M, Latché A, Magné C, Zhong W, Farran I, Ben Amor M, Balagué C, Roustan JP, Pech JC (1995) Expression of ACC oxidase antisense gene in melon. Plant Physiol suppl 108:150

    Google Scholar 

  • Balagué C, Watson CF, Turner AJ, Rougé P, Picton S, Pech JC, Grierson D (1993) Isolation of a ripening and wound-induced cDNA fromCucumis melo L. encoding a protein with homology to the ethylene-forming enzyme. Eur J Biochem 212:27–34

    PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Bouzayen M, Cooper W, Barry C, Zegzouti H, Hamilton AJ, Grierson D (1993) EFE multigene family in tomato plants: expression and characterization. In: Pech JC, Latché A, Balagué C (eds) Cellular and molecular aspects of the plant hormone ethylene. Kluwer Academic Publishers, Dordrecht, pp 76–81

    Google Scholar 

  • Brown JWS (1986) A catalogue of splice junctions and putative branch point sequences from plant introns. Nucleic Acids Res 14:9549–9559

    PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Dellaporta SL, Wood J, Hicks JB (1983) A plant DNA miniprep: version II. Plant Mol Biol Rep 1:19–21

    Google Scholar 

  • Devereux J, Haeberli P, Smithies O (1984) A comprehensive set of sequence analysis programs for the VAX. Nucleic Acids Res 12:387–395

    PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Dupille E, Rombaldi C, Lelievre JM, Cleyet-Marel JC, Pech JC, Latché A (1993) Purification, properties and partial amino-acid sequence of 1-aminocyclopropane-1-carboxylic acid oxidase from apple fruits. Planta 190:65–70

    PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Dong DJ, Fernandez-Maculet JC, Yang SF (1992a) Purification and characterization of 1-aminocyclopropane-1-carboxylate oxidase from apple fruit. Proc Natl Acad Sci USA 89:9789–9793

    PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Dong JG, Olson D, Silverstone A, Yang SF (1992b) Sequence of a cDNA coding for 1-aminocyclopropane-1-carboxylate oxidase homolog from apple fruit. Plant Physiol 98:1530–1531

    Google Scholar 

  • Ecker JR (1995) The ethylene signal transduction pathway in plants. Science 268:667–675

    PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Felix G, Grosskopf DG, Regenass M, Basse CW, Boller T (1991) Elicitor-induced ethylene biosynthesis in tomato cells. Characterization and use as a bioassay for elicitor action. Plant Physiol 97:19–25

    Google Scholar 

  • Gomez-Lim MA, Valdés-Lopez V, Cruz-Hernandez A, Saucedo-Arias LJ (1993) Isolation and characterization of a gene involved in ethylene biosynthesis fromArabidopsis thaliana. Gene 134:217–221

    PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Gray JE Picton S, Giovannoni JJ, Grierson D (1994) The use of transgenic and naturally occuring mutants to understand and manipulate tomato fruit ripening. Plant Cell Environ 17:557–571

    Google Scholar 

  • Hamilton AJ, Lycett GW, Grierson D (1990) Antisense gene that inhibits synthesis of the hormone ethylene in transgenic plants. Nature 346:284–287

    Google Scholar 

  • Hamilton AJ, Bouzayen M, Grierson D (1991) Identification of a tomato gene for the ethylene-forming enzyme by expression in yeast. Proc Natl Acad Sci USA 88:7434–7437

    PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Higgins DG, Sharp PM (1988) CLUSTAL: a package for performing multiple sequence alignment on a microcomputer. Gene 73:237–244

    PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Holdsworth MJ, Schuch W, Grierson D (1987) Nucleotide sequence of an ethylene-related gene from tomato. Nucleic Acids Res 15:10600

    PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Holdsworth MJ, Schuch W, Grierson D (1988) Organisation and expression of a wound/ripening-related small multigene family from tomato. Plant Mol Biol 11:81–88

    Google Scholar 

  • Joshi CP (1987a) An inspection of the domain between putative TATA box and translation start site in 79 plant genes. Nucleic Acids Res 15:6643–6653

    PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Joshi CP (1987b) Putative polyadenylation signals in nuclear genes of higher plants: a compilation and analysis. Nucleic Acids Res 15:9627–9641

    PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Kende H (1993) Ethylene biosynthesis. Annu Rev Plant Physiol Plant Mol Biol 44:283–307

    Google Scholar 

  • Kieber JJ, Ecker JE (1993) Ethylene gas: it's not just for ripening any more! Trends Genet. 9:356–362

    PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Kim WT, Yang SF (1994) Structure and expression of cDNAs encoding 1-aminocyclopropane-1-carboxylate oxidase homologs isolated from excised mung bean hypocotyls. Planta 194:223–229

    PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Lorimer GH (1983) Carbon dioxide and carbamate formation: the makings of a biochemical control system. Trends Biochem Sci. 8:65–68

    Google Scholar 

  • MacDiarmid CW, Gardner RC (1993) A cDNA sequence from kiwifruit homologous to 1-aminocyclopropane-1-carboxylic acid oxidase. Plant Physiol 101:691–692

    PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Matsuda J, Okabe S, Hashimoto T, Yamada Y (1991) Molecular cloning of hyoscyamine 6β-hydroxylase, a 2-oxoglutarate-dependent dioxygenase, from cultured roots ofHyoscyamus niger. J Biol Chem 266:9460–9464

    PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Nakajima N, Mori H, Yamazaki K, Imaseki H (1990) Molecular cloning and sequence of a complementary DNA encoding 1-aminocyclopropane-1-carboxylate synthase induced by tissue wounding. Plant Cell Physiol 31:1021–1029

    Google Scholar 

  • Olson DC, White JA, Edelman L, Harkins RN, Kende H (1991) Differential expression of two genes for 1-aminocyclopropane-1-carboxylate synthase in tomato fruits. Proc Natl Acad Sci USA 88:5340–5344

    PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Pearson WR, Lipman DJ (1988) Improved tools for biological sequence comparison. Proc Natl Acad Sci USA 85:2444–2448

    PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Pech JC, Lasserre E, Ayub R, Guis M, Bidonde S, Hernandez JA, Ramassamy S, Rombaldi P, Bouzayen M, Balagué C, Latché A (1995) Involvement of ethylene in fruit ripening. Expression and control of ACC oxidase gene. Austral J Hort Res, in press

  • Peck SC, Kende H (1995) Sequential induction of the ethylene biosynthetic enzymes by indole-3-acetic acid in etiolated peas. Plant Mol Biol 28:293–301

    PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Peck SC, Olson DC, Kende H (1993) A cDNA sequence encoding 1-aminocyclopropane-1-carboxylate oxidase from pea. Plant Physiol 101:698–690

    Google Scholar 

  • Pogson BJ, Downs CG, Davies KM (1995) Differential expression of two 1-aminocyclopropane-1-carboxylic acid oxidase genes in broccoli after harvest. Plant Physiol 108:651–657

    PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Roby D, Broglie K, Gaynor J, Broglie R (1991) Regulation of a chitinase gene promoter by ethylene and elicitors in bean protoplasts. Plant Physiol 97:433–439

    Google Scholar 

  • Ross GS, Knighton ML, Lay-yee M (1992) An ethylene-related cDNA from ripening apples. Plant Mol Biol 19:231–238

    PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Sanger F, Nicklen S, Coulson AR (1977) DNA sequencing with chain-terminating inhibitors. Proc Natl Acad Sci USA 74:5463–546

    PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Spanu P, Reinhardt D, Boller T (1991) Analysis and cloning of the ethylene-forming enzyme from tomato by functional expression of its mRNA inXenopus laevis oocytes. EMBO J 10:2007–2013

    PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Spanu P, Boller T, Kende H (1993) Differential accumulation of transcripts of 1-aminocyclopropane-1-carboxylate synthase genes in tomato plants infected withPhytophtora infestans and in elicitor-treated tomato cell suspensions. J Plant Physiol 141:557–562

    Google Scholar 

  • Tang X, Wang H, Brandt AS, Woodson WR (1993) Organization and structure of the 1-aminocyclopropane-1-carboxylate oxidase gene family fromPetunia hybrida. Plant Mol Biol 23:1151–1164

    PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Tang X, Gomes AMTR, Bhatia A, Woodson WR (1994) Pistilspecific and ethylene-regulated expression of 1-aminocyclopropane-1-carboxylate oxidase genes in petunia flowers. Plant Cell 6:1227–1239

    PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Theologis A (1992) One rotten apple spoils the whole bushel: the role of ethylene in fruit ripening. Cell 70:181–184

    PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Wang H, Woodson WR (1992) Nucleotide sequence of a cDNA encoding ethylene-forming enzyme from petunia corollas. Plant Physiol 100:535–536

    Google Scholar 

  • Yang SF, Dong JG (1993) Recent progress in research of ethylene biosynthesis. Bot Bull Acad Sin 34:89–101

    Google Scholar 

  • Yang SF, Hoffman NE (1984) Ethylene biosynthesis and its regulation in higher plants. Annu Rev Plant Physiol 35:155–189

    Google Scholar 

  • Zarembinski TI, Theologis A (1994) Ethylene biosynthesis and action: a case of conservation. Plant Mol Biol 26:1579–1597

    PubMed  Google Scholar 

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Laboratoire Ethylène et Mécanismes Moléculaires de la Maturation des Fruits UA-INRA, Ecole Nationale Supérieure Agronomique de Toulouse, 145 Avenue de Muret, F-31076, Toulouse cedex, France

    E. Lasserre, T. Bouquin, J. A. Hernandez, J. -C. Pech & C. Balagué

  2. Bioventures, Institute of Pathology, University of Leeds, Algernon First Building, LS2 9JT, Leeds, UK

    J. Bull

Authors
  1. E. Lasserre
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. T. Bouquin
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  3. J. A. Hernandez
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  4. J. -C. Pech
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  5. C. Balagué
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  6. J. Bull
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Additional information

Communicated by H. Saedler

These authors contributed equally to this work

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Cite this article

Lasserre, E., Bouquin, T., Hernandez, J.A. et al. Structure and expression of three genes encoding ACC oxidase homologs from melon (Cucumis melo L.). Molec. Gen. Genet. 251, 81–90 (1996). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF02174348

Download citation

  • Received:

  • Accepted:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF02174348

Key words

Search

Navigation