Isolation of a gametophyte-specific cDNA encoding a lipoxygenase from the red alga Porphyra purpurea

A cDNA clone encoding a lipoxygenase was obtained from a subtracted cDNA library specific for the gametophyte of Porphyra purpurea. The amino acid sequence of the P. purpurea lipoxygenase is most similar to the sequences of animals and plants in the iron-binding, catalytic region located in the C-terminal half of the enzymes. Northern hybridization confirmed that the gene represented by this cDNA is expressed only in the gametophyte.