Cloning and gene expression analysis of ascorbic acid biosynthesis enzymes in Moringa oleifera

Takayuki Kondo; Yukichi Fujikawa; Akihiro Ueda; Toshinori Nagaoka; Hirofumi Saneoka; Milton Martinez Gonzalez; Manuel Calcano; David Hernandez-Martich; Muneharu Esaka

doi:10.5897/AJAR2014.9306

African Journal of
Agricultural Research

Abbreviation: Afr. J. Agric. Res.
Language: English
ISSN: 1991-637X
DOI: 10.5897/AJAR
Start Year: 2006
Published Articles: 6940

Full Length Research Paper

Cloning and gene expression analysis of ascorbic acid biosynthesis enzymes in Moringa oleifera

Takayuki Kondo

Takayuki Kondo
Graduate School of Biosphere Science, Hiroshima University, Higashi-Hiroshima, 739-8528, Japan.
Search for this author on:
Google Scholar

Yukichi Fujikawa

Yukichi Fujikawa
Graduate School of Biosphere Science, Hiroshima University, Higashi-Hiroshima, 739-8528, Japan.
Search for this author on:
Google Scholar

Akihiro Ueda

Akihiro Ueda
Graduate School of Biosphere Science, Hiroshima University, Higashi-Hiroshima, 739-8528, Japan.
Search for this author on:
Google Scholar

Toshinori Nagaoka

Toshinori Nagaoka
Graduate School of Biosphere Science, Hiroshima University, Higashi-Hiroshima, 739-8528, Japan.
Search for this author on:
Google Scholar

Hirofumi Saneoka

Hirofumi Saneoka
Graduate School of Biosphere Science, Hiroshima University, Higashi-Hiroshima, 739-8528, Japan.
Search for this author on:
Google Scholar

Milton Martinez Gonzalez

Milton Martinez Gonzalez
Faculty of Science, Autonomous University of Santo Domingo, Santo Domingo, 10105, Dominican Republic.
Search for this author on:
Google Scholar

Manuel Calcano

Manuel Calcano
Faculty of Science, Autonomous University of Santo Domingo, Santo Domingo, 10105, Dominican Republic.
Search for this author on:
Google Scholar

David Hernandez-Martich

David Hernandez-Martich
Faculty of Science, Autonomous University of Santo Domingo, Santo Domingo, 10105, Dominican Republic.
Search for this author on:
Google Scholar

Muneharu Esaka

Muneharu Esaka
Graduate School of Biosphere Science, Hiroshima University, Higashi-Hiroshima, 739-8528, Japan.
Search for this author on:
Google Scholar

Article Number - 8C04D9A53314
Vol.10(22), pp. 2274-2285 , May 2015
https://doi.org/10.5897/AJAR2014.9306

Received: 04 November 2014
Accepted: 19 May 2015
Published: 28 May 2015

Abstract

Moringa (Moringa oleifera), which is a semi-tropical plant, is used as food and for the production of medicines and oil products, because of a large amount of various nutrients including ascorbic acid (AsA). Although Moringa leaf has a high AsA content, the molecular mechanisms of AsA accumulation in Moringa have received little attention. In this study, we isolated Moringa cDNAs for enzymes, belonging to the major AsA biosynthesis pathway (Smirnoff-Wheeler pathway) in higher plants. The predicted amino acid sequences showed 70% or more similarity to those of Arabidopsis. Quantitative RT-PCR indicated that Moringa GDP-L-galactose phosphorylase (GGP) is most highly expressed in Moringa during leaf development and light exposure. A significant high promoter activity of the Moringa GGP gene was detected by promoter assay in Arabidopsis protoplast.

Key words: Moringa oleifera, ascorbic acid, biosynthesis enzymes, gene expression.

This article is published under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License 4.0

Back to Vol. 10 No. 22

Back to articles