Isolation and expression pattern of hahr1, a homeobox-containing cDNA from Helianthus annuus

A 2.5 kb homeobox (HB)-containing cDNA (hahr1) was isolated from a library prepared from rootlets of Helianthus annuus using a polymerase chain reaction (PCR)-based strategy. The putative protein product (77 kDa) contains the homeodomain (HD) and an acidic domain at the N-terminal region (residues 72-155). The deduced amino acid sequence of hahr1 shares a 53% sequence identity with GLABRA2, a HD protein associated with epidermal cell differentiation. Hahr1 expression was primarily found in dry seeds, hypocotyls and roots at stages associated with early developmental events. Expression was completely lacking in leaves and flowers. Evidence for the existence of one related gene expressed in sunflower stems was obtained by the presence of restriction fragment length polymorphism of amplified cDNA products.