ISOLATION AND CHARACTERIZATION OF A CDNA-CLONE CODING FOR POTATO TYPE-B PHYTOCHROME

We have isolated and sequenced overlapping genomic and cDNA clones encoding the apoprotein of a potato phytochrome. Based on the deduced amino acid sequence, which shows 77% identity to the Arabidopsis phyB and 50% identity to the potato phyA open reading frame, we suggest that these clones encode phyB phytochrome. However, the size of the deduced open reading frame of 1133 amino acids is smaller than the size of the other two phyB open reading frames characterized so far in higher plants, which contain 1171 or 1187 amino acids. The intron/exon structure within the coding region is conserved in phyA and phyB genes of various species. Southern blot analysis indicates that potato phyB is a single-copy gene. PhyB mRNA levels do not differ among different organs or different light regimes. Transcription initiation starts from two different start points which are 63 bp apart.