Related Experiment Video
Updated: May 5, 2026

Author Spotlight: Developing Tools to Tune the Activity of Tyrosine Phosphatases
Published on: September 6, 2024
Genetics of rye phosphatases: evidence of a duplication
A M Figueiras1, M T González-Jaén, C Benito
1Departamento de Genética, Facultad de Biología, Universidad Complutense, E-28040, Madrid, Spain.
Abstract:
Genetic analyses were conducted on alkaline phosphatases of the endosperm of dry kernels and leaf acid phosphatases in four open pollinated and one inbred line of cultivated rye (Secale cereale L.). A total of seven alkaline phosphatase isozymes were observed occurring at variable frequencies in the different cultivars analyzed. We propose that at least five loci control the alkaline phosphatases of rye endosperm - Alph-1, Alph-2, Alph-3, Alph-4 and Alph-5 - all of which have monomeric behaviour. The leaf acid phosphatases are controlled by one locus and have a dimeric quaternary structure. All loci coding for alkaline phosphatase isozymes showed one active, dominant allele and one null, recessive allele, except for the locus Alph-3 which showed two active, dominant alleles and one null, recessive one. The linkage analyses suggest the existence of two linkage groups for alkaline phosphatases: one of them would contain Alph-2, Alph-4, Alph-5 and the locus/loci coding isozymes 6 and 7. This linkage group is located in the 7RS chromosome arm. The other group would include Alph-1 and Alph-3 loci, being located in the 1RL chromosome arm. Leaf acid phosphatases have been previously located in the 7RL chromosome arm. Our data also support an independent relationship between loci controlling the endosperm alkaline phosphatases and leaf acid phosphatases.
Related Concept Videos
Gene Duplication and Divergence
The duplicated copies of the gene are called Paralogs. Paralogs with similar sequences and functions form a gene family. Across several species, a large number of gene families are...
Conservative Site-specific Recombination and Phase Variation
The recognition sites for Cre recombinase called LoxP...
Gene Families
Occasionally these regions can be adapted to take on new roles within the organism, becoming novel genes...
Protein Kinases and Phosphatases
Protein kinases
Many proteins in the cell are regulated by phosphorylation, the addition of a phosphate group. A family of enzymes called kinases...
Exon Recombination
Exon shuffling follows “splice frame rules.” Each exon...
Genome Copying Errors

