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Molecular Cloning of Kunitz-Type Proteinase Inhibitor Group B Genes from Potato


A. S. Speranskaya1*, A. A. Krinitsina1, P. Poltronieri2, P. Fasano2, A. Santino2, A. B. Shevelev1, and T. A. Valueva1

1Bach Institute of Biochemistry, Russian Academy of Sciences, Leninsky pr. 33, 119071 Moscow, Russia; fax: (7-095) 954-2732; E-mail: annatar@aha.ru

2National Research Council of Italy, ISPA-CNR, Via Monteroni 14, Lecce, 73100, Italy; fax: +39(0)832420000

* To whom correspondence should be addressed.

Received August 17, 2004; Revision received October 19, 2004
Eighteen clones representing copies of four Kunitz-type proteinase inhibitor group B genes (PKPI-B) obtained by polymerase chain reaction cloning of potato (Solanum tuberosum L. cv. Istrinskii) genomic DNA were sequenced and analyzed. Three new genes were found and named PKPI-B1, PKPI-B2, and PKPI-B10: these were represented by five, two, and seven clones, respectively. The remaining four clones corresponded to the formerly characterized PKPI-B9 gene. These data show that at least four PKPI-B encoding genes are harbored in the genome of potato cv. Istrinskii. Their analysis suggests that variability of PKPI-B encoding genes in potato is limited and could be explained by cross-hybridization events in the ancestor forms rather than by random mutagenesis.
KEY WORDS: Kunitz-type proteinase inhibitors, gene sequences, genome, potato