Abstract
In this study, a phenylalanine ammonia-lyase (PAL) gene was cloned from Dendrobium candidum using homology cloning and RACE. The full-length sequence and catalytic active sites that appear in PAL proteins of Arabidopsis thaliana and Nicotiana tabacum are also found: PAL cDNA of D. candidum (designated Dc-PAL1, GenBank No. JQ765748) has 2,458 bps and contains a complete open reading frame (ORF) of 2,142 bps, which encodes 713 amino acid residues. The amino acid sequence of DcPAL1 has more than 80% sequence identity with the PAL genes of other plants, as indicated by multiple alignments. The dominant sites and catalytic active sites, which are similar to that showing in PAL proteins of Arabidopsis thaliana and Nicotiana tabacum, are also found in DcPAL1. Phylogenetic tree analysis revealed that DcPAL is more closely related to PALs from orchidaceae plants than to those of other plants. The differential expression patterns of PAL in protocorm-like body, leaf, stem, and root, suggest that the PAL gene performs multiple physiological functions in Dendrobium candidum.
Highlights
Dendrobium Sw. is a species of perennial herb in the Orchidaceae family, which was first introduced in the book Shennong Bencao Jing and is well-known for its valuable medical uses
The full-length DcPAL comprises 2,458 bp with an open reading frame of 2,142 bp, which encodes a protein of 713 amino acid, and it contains a 101-bp 59UTR, a 215-bp 39UTR, and a 26bp polyA
The 59 and 39-UTRs are rich in A and T, which closely resembles the same gene from other plants
Summary
Dendrobium Sw. is a species of perennial herb in the Orchidaceae family, which was first introduced in the book Shennong Bencao Jing and is well-known for its valuable medical uses. Dendrobium Sw. has been recognized as a medicinal herb because it can be used for maintaining gastric tonicity, enhancing the production of bodily fluids, and relieving symptoms such as dryness of the throat and thirst with blurred vision[1]. The officinal effect of Dendrobium Sw. is primarily produced by secondary metabolites[2]. As determined using modern pharmacological techniques, the main chemical compounds of Dendrobium Sw. include polysaccharides, alkaloids, and others [3,4]. Alkaloids are the most important secondary metabolite of Dendrobium Sw., as it has many officinal effects, including anticancer, neuroprotective, anti-angiogenesis, and immunomodulatory[5,6,7,8]
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