A 2.6 KB INTRON SEPARATES THE SIGNAL PEPTIDE CODING SEQUENCE OF AN ANTHER-SPECIFIC PROTEIN FROM THE REST OF THE GENE IN SUNFLOWER

We have isolated and sequenced an anther-specific gene from sunflower which encodes an 800-nucleotide transcript detectable in the peripheral anther cells. It contains an intron of 2615 bp, which separates the first exon (77 bp) coding for a putative signal peptide of 21 amino acids, from the second exon (563 bp) coding for a 100 amino acid polypeptide. The 5' and 3' untranslated regions comprise respectively 13 and 264 bp. The SF2 gene is present in the sunflower genome in several copies, all or most of which contain a closely related intron.