Full Length Research Paper

Eukaryotic translation initiation factor 5A of wheat: Identification, phylogeny and expression

Jianping Zhou, Zujun Yang*, Guangrong Li, Yong Zhang, Zixian Zeng and Zhenglong Ren

School of Life Science and Technology, University of Electronic Science and Technology of China, Chengdu, Sichuan 610054, P.R. China.

*Corresponding author. E-mail: yangzujun@uestc.edu.cn. Tel: 86-28-83206556.

Accepted 13 January, 2009

In the present study, we report on the characterization of a full-length cDNA clone (TaeIF5A-1) and as well as two genomic sequences (TaeIF5A-2 and TaeIF5A-3) encoding eIF5A in wheat (Triticum aestivum). In addition, 9 partial DNA sequences of eIF5A gene were also isolated from different species of triticeae tribe. Phylogenetic analysis of eIF5A coding genes in general revealed that TaeIF5A-1 represents ancestral types of the gene family in plant. Chromosome location analysis shows that TaeIF5A-2 was located on the chromosome 2BL. The mRNA level of TaeIF5A-1 has spatial and temporal difference, indicating it mainly plays important role in leaf development.

Key words: eIF5A, Triticum aestivum, physical mapping, phylogenetic tree, gene expression.