Cloning, sequence and expression analysis of a zinc finger protein gene in wheat

Reverse Transcription-Polymerase Chain Reaction (RT-PCR) was performed on total RNA of resistant-line TAM104R and susceptible-line TAM104S using 33 primers designed according to conservative domain of plant R-genes and the sequence of barley powdery mildew resistance genes Mlo, Mla1, Mla6 and wheat leaf rust resistance gene Lrk10. A polymorphic cDNA fragment TaZF was cloned and sequenced. The Open Reading Frame (ORF) of TaZF is comprised of 822 base pairs which encodes a zinc finger-like DNA or RNA-binding protein with 273 amino acids and molecular weight of 31 kD. TaZF is more than one copy gene in TAM104R genome based on southern blot. It is constitutively expressed, but level of expression was enhanced in tissue infected by Erysiphe Graminis. There is no intron in TaZF genome DNA.