Expressed sequence tag analysis in Cycas, the most primitive living seed plant

Brenner, E. D., Stevenson, D. W., McCombie, R. W., Katari, M. S., Rudd, S. A., Mayer, K. F., Palenchar, P. M., Runko, S. J., Twigg, R. W., Dai, G., Martienssen, R. A., Benfey, P. N., Coruzzi, G. M. (2003) Expressed sequence tag analysis in Cycas, the most primitive living seed plant. Genome Biology, 4 (12). R78. ISSN 1474-7596

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Abstract

BACKGROUND: Cycads are ancient seed plants (living fossils) with origins in the Paleozoic. Cycads are sometimes considered a 'missing link' as they exhibit characteristics intermediate between vascular non-seed plants and the more derived seed plants. Cycads have also been implicated as the source of 'Guam's dementia', possibly due to the production of S(+)-beta-methyl-alpha, beta-diaminopropionic acid (BMAA), which is an agonist of animal glutamate receptors. RESULTS: A total of 4,200 expressed sequence tags (ESTs) were created from Cycas rumphii and clustered into 2,458 contigs, of which 1,764 had low-stringency BLAST similarity to other plant genes. Among those cycad contigs with similarity to plant genes, 1,718 cycad 'hits' are to angiosperms, 1,310 match genes in gymnosperms and 734 match lower (non-seed) plants. Forty-six contigs were found that matched only genes in lower plants and gymnosperms. Upon obtaining the complete sequence from the clones of 37/46 contigs, 14 still matched only gymnosperms. Among those cycad contigs common to higher plants, ESTs were discovered that correspond to those involved in development and signaling in present-day flowering plants. We purified a cycad EST for a glutamate receptor (GLR)-like gene, as well as ESTs potentially involved in the synthesis of the GLR agonist BMAA. CONCLUSIONS: Analysis of cycad ESTs has uncovered conserved and potentially novel genes. Furthermore, the presence of a glutamate receptor agonist, as well as a glutamate receptor-like gene in cycads, supports the hypothesis that such neuroactive plant products are not merely herbivore deterrents but may also serve a role in plant signaling.

Item Type:	Paper
Uncontrolled Keywords:	Amino Acids Diamino biosynthesis Cycas genetics metabolism DNA Complementary chemistry genetics Expressed Sequence Tags Gene Library Genes Plant genetics Gymnosperms genetics Sequence Analysis DNA Signal Transduction genetics
Subjects:	bioinformatics > genomics and proteomics > analysis and processing bioinformatics bioinformatics > genomics and proteomics > genetics & nucleic acid processing > DNA, RNA structure, function, modification bioinformatics > genomics and proteomics > genetics & nucleic acid processing bioinformatics > genomics and proteomics bioinformatics > genomics and proteomics > analysis and processing > Sequence Data Processing bioinformatics > genomics and proteomics > genetics & nucleic acid processing > DNA, RNA structure, function, modification > genes, structure and function organism description > plant
CSHL Authors:	Katari, Manpreet Martienssen, Robert A. McCombie, W. Richard
Communities:	CSHL labs > Martienssen lab CSHL labs > McCombie lab
Depositing User:	Matt Covey
Date:	2003
Date Deposited:	01 Apr 2013 19:12
Last Modified:	01 Apr 2013 19:12
PMCID:	PMC329417
Related URLs:	Publisher
URI:	https://repository.cshl.edu/id/eprint/28014

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