[Identification and tissue-specific expression of a full length cDNA encoding ZIP protein in Arabidopsis]

A full-length cDNA encoding a putative ZIP proteins, has been isolated from Arabidopsis cDNA library using a heterologous DNA probe. Sequence analysis showed that the deduced protein contained a leucine zipper and a possible nuclear localization signal domain. There was no identical proteins in the database we searched, but it shared high sequence homology with PNZIP from Pharbitis nil and two other open reading frames (ORF) of unknown function from Synechocystis spp and Porphyra purpurea. These together defined a new family of evolutionarily conserved leucine zipper proteins, which might play a role as a transcription factor in the regulation of gene expression. Southern and Northern blot analysis indicated that AT103 was a single copy gene and the accumulation of mRNA was obviously different in leaves, stems and roots in Arabidopsis.