cDNA Cloning and Analysis of Ascorbate Peroxidase Gene from Pericarp of Litchi

[Objective] The aim of the study was to conduct cDNA sequence analysis on APX gene cloned from litchi pericarp. [Method] The ascorbate peroxidase gene was amplified and cloned from litchi pericarp by RT-PCR and RACE techniques. The cloned gene sequence was analyzed by ORF Finder procedure of NCBI and its ORF was transferred into amino acid sequence for BLASTX and BLASTN analysis. The APX amino acid sequence of litchi was matched with that of 8 plants of Cucumis sativus, Populus Canadensis and so on and their phylogenetic tree was analyzed by dnasis max 2.6 pro software. [Result] The full-length cDNA contained 1 118 bp with 645 bp of ORF and encoded 214 amino acids. The homologies between the amino acid sequence encoded by cAPX gene from litchi and that from Cucumis sativus, Populus Canadensis, Dimocarpus longan, Arachis duranensis, Pisum sativum, Brassica juncea, Hevea brasiliensis and Medicago sativa were 83 %, 89 %, 97 %, 7 %, 84 %, 75 %, 79 % and 85 % resp. The presumed molecular formula of the protein was C1946H3249N645O827S142, its relative molecular weight and isoelectric point were 53 466.5 and 5.16 and its theoretical deduction half-life was over 10 h. [Conclusion] The Cloning and sequence analysis of the cAPX gene established base for gene engineering operation of ascorbate peroxidase from the pericarp of harvested litchi.