African Journal of
Biotechnology

  • Abbreviation: Afr. J. Biotechnol.
  • Language: English
  • ISSN: 1684-5315
  • DOI: 10.5897/AJB
  • Start Year: 2002
  • Published Articles: 12481

Full Length Research Paper

Genome-wide examination of chlorophyll metabolic genes in maize and phylogenetic analysis among different photosynthetic organisms

Dianyi Shi1,3, Lin Li1 Jiewei Zhang2, Panfeng Zhao1, Lei Xing1, Wenjun Xie1, Jianbing Yan1 and Weiwei Jin1*        
1National Maize Improvement Center of China, Key Laboratory of Crop Genetic Improvement and Genome of Ministry of Agriculture, China Agricultural University, Beijing 100193, China. 2State Key Laboratory of Plant Physiology and Biochemistry, College of Biological Sciences, China Agricultural University, Beijing 100193, China. 3Department of Life Sciences, Daqing Normal College, Daqing 163712, China.
Email: [email protected]

  •  Accepted: 04 April 2011
  •  Published: 22 June 2011

Abstract

Chlorophyll (Chl) is the key pigment involved in photosynthesis. Analysis of the expression pattern of Chl metabolic genes will contribute to our understanding of photosynthesis. Also, the genes coding for Chl metabolism are ideal targets forrevealing the evolution relationships of photosynthetic organisms. In this study, we summarized the Chl metabolic pathway in higher plants and conducted in silicoexpression analysis of related genes in maize. Phylogenetic analysis revealed that the evolution of Chl metabolic genes proceeded in a certain direction. Moreover, thediversity of some rate-limiting enzymes might have played a positive role in the evolution of Chl metabolism.

 

Kew words: Chlorophyll, maize, metabolism, phylogeny, photosynthesis.