CLONING OF GENE CONTAINING Lc REGULATORY GENE IN THE ANTHOCYANIN BIOSYNTHESIS FROM LOCAL STICKY CORN CULTIVARS (ZEA MAYS SUBSP. CERATINA (KUELSHOV) ZHUK)

Abstract

Sticky corn (Zea mays subsp. ceratina (Kuelshov) Zhuk) is one of the important and widely grown plants in Vietnam, especially in mountainous regions. Anthocyanin is considered as a sign of the stress caused by drought. The expression of the structural genes or enzymes involved in the anthocyanin biosynthesis in parts of maize plants needs the presence of transcription factors belonging to MYB, Myc (or bHLH) and WD40 family. Genes of MYB family regulating anthocyanin biosynthesis have been studied including C1, P1, Pl. While genes of Myc family (or bHLH) studied include B, R, Sn and Lc (Leaf color). This paper analyzed the sequence of the Lc gene which activates anthocyanin biosynthesis from Na Hao sticky cultivars (symbolized by NH).

The sequence of the Lc gene consists of 1833 bp encoding 610 amino acids with differences in 14 positions compared with the NM001111869 and KJ726800 sequences and 8 positions compared with the M26227 sequence. They are highly similar to others in maize bHLH family (from 99.23% to 99.56%). The deductive proteins of the Lc gene is also homologous with others in maize bHLH family (from 96.2% to 98%) with differences in 8 positions compared with the NM001111869 and KJ726800 sequences and 5 positions compared with the M26227 sequence.