Characterization and expression of two members of the S-adenosylmethionine decarboxylase gene family in carnation flower

S-adenosylmethionine decarboxylase (SAMDC; EC 4.1.4.50) is one of the key enzymes in polyamine biosynthesis, and the product of its catalytic reaction, decarboxylated S-adenosylmethionine (dcSAM), serves as an aminopropyl donor in the biosynthesis of spermidine and spermine. In order to provide information on the structure and regulation of SAMDC, we have isolated and sequenced two different SAMDC cDNA clones from carnation petals. The nucleotide sequences of CSDC9 and CSDC16 show 78.3% identity, and the deduced amino acid sequences show 81.7% identity and 86.5% similarity [12]. There are several regions with highly conserved sequences among SAMDC cDNAs of potato, spinach, periwinkle, man and yeast. These conserved regions include a cleavage site for the processing of SAMDC proenzyme and a putative PEST sequence that may be relevant to the rapid degradation of SAMDC protein. Carnation SAMDC cDNAs have long transcript leaders of 472 bp and 502 bp for CSDC9 and CSDC16, respectively. Both sequences contain short upstream open reading frames (uORFs) in their 5'-untranslated regions. The CSDC9 uORF is 54 amino acids from 152 to 317 while the corresponding sequence in CSDC16 is 52 amino acids located from 156 to 314 in each 5'-untranslated region. The nucleotide sequences of uORFs in CSDC9 and CSDC16 were 89.9% identical. In vitro transcription/translation experiments showed: (1) each proenzyme of both cDNAs of SAMDC was converted to two polypeptides consisting of a large subunit (calculated as 31 544 Da and 32 537 Da, respectively) and a small subunit (calculated as 9704 and 9041 Da, respectively) after 20 min of translation; (2) the processing occurs rapidly during the translation of protein. But once the translation process is stopped accumulation of the subunits slows and never reaches completion even after 300 min. The processing of carnation SAMDC enzyme is not stimulated by putrescine in in vitro transcription/translation reaction.