| Summary: | The WUSCHEL (WUS)-related homeobox (WOX) gene family coordinates transcription during
the early phases of embryogenesis. In this study, a putative WOX2
homolog was isolated and characterized from Aegilops tauschii, the
donor of D genome of Triticum aestivum. The sequence consisted of
2045 bp, and contained an open reading frame (ORF), encoded 322 amino acids. The
predicted protein sequence contained a highly conserved homeodomain and the WUS-box
domain, which is present in some members of the WOX protein family. The full-length
ORF was subcloned into prokaryotic expression vector pET-30a, and an approximately
34-kDa protein was expressed in Escherichia coli BL21 (DE3) cells
with IPTG induction. The molecular mass of the expressed protein was identical to
that predicted by the cDNA sequence. Phylogenetic analysis suggested that Ae.
tauschii WOX2 is closely related to the rice and maize orthologs.
Quantitative PCR analysis showed that WOX2 from Ae.
tauschii was primarily expressed in the seeds; transcription increased
during seed development and declined after the embryos matured, suggesting that
WOX2 is associated with embryo development in Ae.
tauschii.
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