**Molecular Cloning and Expression of Phytoene Synthase, Lycopene Beta-cyclase, and Beta-carotene Hydroxylase Genes in Persimmon (Diospyros kakiL.) Fruits**

Zhao, Daqiu
Zhou, Chunhua
Sheng, Yanle
Liang, Guohua
Tao, Jun

¹College of Horticulture and Plant Protection. Yangzhou University, Yangzhou 225009, People's Republic of China.
²Key Laboratory of Plant Functional Genomics of Ministry of Education, College of Agronomy. Yangzhou University, Yangzhou 225009, People's Republic of China.

Published online: 8 August 2010

Electronic supplementary material

The online version of this article (doi:10.1007/s11105-010-0238-5) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.

Abbreviations aa, Amino acid; BCH, Beta-carotene hydroxylase; Ct, Threshold cycle; ECH, ε-Carotene hydroxylase; FAO, Food and Agriculture Organization; LCYB, Lycopene beta-cyclase; ORF, Open reading frame; PCR, Polymerase chain reaction; PDS, Phytoene desaturase; pI, Theoretical isoelectric point; PSY, Phytoene synthase; Q-PCR, Real-time quantitative PCR; RACE, Rapid amplification of cDNA ends; UTR, Untranslated region; ZDS, ζ-Carotene desaturase

Plant Molecular Biology Reporter 29(2):p 345-351, June 2011. | DOI: 10.1007/s11105-010-0238-5

Abstract

Persimmon is not only an important fruit, which is eaten as a fresh fruit, but also traditionally used for many medicinal purposes, among which carotenoids contribute significantly to the color and nutritional value of persimmon fruit. Phytoene synthase (PSY), lycopene beta-cyclase (LCYB), and beta-carotene hydroxylase (BCH) are three important enzymes of carotenoid biosynthesis. In this study, cDNA and genomic sequences of DkPSY, DkLCYB, and DkBCH were isolated by rapid amplification of cDNA ends and polymerase chain reaction (PCR) using RNA and DNA isolated from the flesh tissues of persimmon used as template. Sequence analysis demonstrated that the individual cDNA and deduced proteins showed high identities to those of three carotenogenic cDNAs and proteins from other plants. Real-time quantitative PCR analysis revealed the tissue-specific expression patterns of DkPSY, DkLCYB, and DkBCH genes in fruit of persimmon, in which expression level of DkBCH was strongest among three genes analyzed. And, in different tissues, the expression level of peel tissue was higher than that of flesh and pedicel tissues.