ABC Transporter from Sugarcane Grassy Shoot Phytoplasma: Gene Sequencing and Sequence Characterization

Abstract

The present study focuses on the sequencing and characterization of genes coding for ABC transporter in sugarcane grassy shoot (SCGS) phytoplasma. Amplification of ABC transporter genes from SCGS phytoplasma was obtained using three sets of degenerated primer pairs. Sequenced fragments were assembled and trimmed to 2362 bp corresponding to full-length evbG gene and a partial evbH gene of transporter system. The evbG gene was characterized through in silico approaches. Six transmembrane helices and two different conserved domains were identified. The first domain consists of 283 amino acids, is located from 15aa to 298aa, and is annotated as transporter domain. The second domain is 234aa long and laid between amino acid position 331 and 565; it is characterized by a conserved nucleotide phosphate-binding motif. Comparative modeling techniques were used to generate three-dimensional structure of the evbG protein of SCGS phytoplasma which showed 31 helices, 19 strands, and 43 turns. This is the first report of sequencing and characterization of ABC type transporter genes from sugarcane grassy shoot phytoplasma.