An anionic, stem-specific flax peroxidase cDNA with C-terminal motifs also found in a blue copper-type pea protein correlated with lignin deposition

A flax (Linum usitatissimum L.) peroxidase cDNA (FLXPER1) was isolated from a lambda gt10 library made from RNA derived from shoot tissue of the cultivar Stormont Cirrus, by screening with probes encoding amino termini of flax peroxidases. The probes were obtained by PCR amplification of the library with the lambda gt10 reverse primer 5'CTTATGAGTATTTCTTCCAGGGTA3' flanking the Eco RI cloning site, and a mixed oligonucleotide derived from the catalytic domain (HFHDCFV) found in all plant peroxidases. FLXPER1 is the second flax peroxidase to be so isolated and described, following the previously documented FLXPER2 (Omann et al. 1994, Genome 37, 137-147). These two cDNAs are the completely sequenced members of a family currently encompassing FLXPER1 to FLXPER4, all isolated from the same lambda gt10 library. FLXPER3 and 4 will be separately described and related to FLXPER1, 2. The FLXPER1 deduced amino acid sequence reveals a signal peptide of 27 amino acids, and an anionic mature protein with seven potential N-linked glycosylation sites in its 332 amino acids (38.25 kDa; pI 4.38). The FLXPER1 C terminus is similar to plant peroxidases with a putative C-terminal vacuolar targeting signal, but also contains amino acid motifs with striking homologies to the membrane anchoring motifs of a pea blue copper type protein correlated with lignin deposition. Northern blot analysis demonstrated its stem specific expression. Southern blots suggested one to five copies of FLXPER1 in the flax genome, compared with one to two for FLXPER2. FLXPER1 resembles cucumber, poplar and tobacco amino acid sequences; its asymmetry in codon usage coincides with that of other dicotyledon peroxidases, i.e. much lower than in monocotyledon peroxidases.