Original Research Article

Comparative bioinformatics study of 5′ regulatory and coding regions of sucrose synthesizing isozymes of selected monocot crops

Temitope E. Folorunsho¹, Omodele Ibraheem*¹ and Runyararo M. Nyadzayo²

¹Department of Biological Sciences, Landmark University, Omu-Aran, PMB 1001, Kwara State, Nigeria.
²Environment and Biotechnology Centre, Faculty of Science, Engineering and Technology,, Swinburne University of Technology,
P. O. Box 218, Hawthorn, 3122, Australia.

*Corresponding Author E-mail: deleibraheem2007@yahoo.com

Accepted September 19, 2013

Abstract

Regulation of gene transcription is fundamental for function and development of all living organisms. The temporal and spatial expressions of genes are mostly conferred by the nature and frequencies of cis-acting element located within the regulatory region and by appropriate transcriptional factors. Putative cis-acting present within the 5' regulatory region of maize, rice and sorghum Sucrose Phosphate Synthase (SPS) and Sucrose Phosphate Phosphatase (SPP) were thus identified using bioinformatic tools such as PLACE, Plant Pan, plant CARE and Genomatrix Mat inspectors. Cell development, hormonal and environmental responsive elements were identified and these include: TATA, CAAT, ABRE, GARE, W-BOX, GT-1, CURE, MYC, MYB, DRE, RY-motif, CGGB-BOXAT, among others at different frequencies. Furthermore, the structural/evolutionary relationships between the genomic and proteomic sequences predicted using Clustal Omega: EMBL-EBI, Multiple Sequence Alignment and Constrainst Based Protein Multiple Alignment Tool (COBALT) programs respectively, showed very high conservation and homology between the isozymes. This work thus reveals the probable cis-acting regulatory elements that may work in combination with other transcription factors to confer the expression and regulation of these SPS and SPP isozymes. It also shows that these isozymes could have evolved as a result of independent gene duplication from one ancestral sucrose biosynthesis gene.

Keywords: (A)biotic stress, Cis-acting elements, gene homology, plant hormone, sucrose phosphate synthase (SPS), sucrose phosphate phosphatase (SPP,  Transcription factors