In silico analysis of a putative SPIRAL gene related to strawberry ripening

Abstract

The aim of this study was to characterize a gene associated with ripening in strawberry, a non-climacteric fruit. Differently expressed transcripts of candidate genes functioning in fruit development and ripening were identified from strawberry (Fragaria×ananassaDuch.) in four ripening stages using the cDNA-AFLP method. The cDNA fragment designated C11M32M003 was selected from the putative ripening-related genes for further analysis. This transcript accumulated in the green receptacle, and the achene, but gene expression decreased in both tissues in parallel with the progress of ripening (Balogh, 2006).In silicoanalysis revealed that both the cDNA-AFLP fragment (C11M32M003) and the full-length cDNA AY695666 showed over 60% homology at the nucleotide level with two gene groups found in various plant species, includingArabidopsis thaliana. One of the candidate groups consisted ofNITRILASEsequences thought to be related to auxin biosynthesis. As an alternative, a lesser known gene group namedSPIRALwas suggested. The results of the detailed bioinformatic comparisons presented in this paper prove that the strawberry sequence analysed belongs to theSPIRALgene family.