Comparison of pepck gene expression in developing seeds and leaves of chickpea (Cicer arietinum L.) plant

Document Type : مقاله

Authors

Ahmad Reza Bahrami

Maria Beihaghi

Abdolreza Bagheri

Richard Leegood

Mehdi Ghabooli

Jafar Zolala

Farajollah Shahriari

Ferdowsi University of Mashhad

https://doi.org/10.22067/jcmr.v1i2.3220

Abstract

Abstract
Phosphoenolpyruvate Carboxykinase, encoded by the pepck gene, plays an important role in
gluconeogenesis. It also seems to be important in metabolism of nitrogenous compounds in developing seeds of
legumes, including amides and ureides which are then transformed into amino acids, necessary for the
synthesis of storage proteins. In this research, pepck gene expression in mRNA level, in different genotypes of
chickpea (Cicer arietinum L.), was determined. Two low protein genotypes (MCC291 and MCC373) and two
high protein genotypes (MCC458 and MCC053) out of 20 chickpea genotypes were selected. Total RNA were
extracted through different stages of seed development, and the expression of the pepck gene was estimated by
semi-quantitative RT-PCR. The results of the RT-PCR showed that two isoforms of this gene are expressed in
high protein genotypes, whereas in the low protein genotypes, the expression of these isoforms was not
obvious. Also this method showed a differential expression of pepck gene in different stages of flowering and
seed development. pepck gene is expressed in higher levels during the sheet formation and developing seeds
compared to the flowering and seed formation stages. Probably, the differential expression of pepck gene is
related to its possible role in metabolism of seed components, particularly in determination of the protein
content of chickpea seeds.

Keywords

chickpea, nitrogen metabolism

phosphoenolpyruvate Carboxykinase

seed development

20.1001.1.20089147.2009.1.2.1.2

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