棉 花 学 报    Cotton Science     2010，22（5）：387-392

Cloning and Expression Analysis of GhCO Gene in Gossypium hirsutum L.
WU Man^1,2, FAN Shu-li², SONG Mei-zhen², PANG Chao-you², YU Shu-xun^2*
(1.College of Agronomy, Northwest Sci-Tech University of Agriculture and Forestry, Yangling，Shaanxi 712100, China; 2. Cotton Research Institute of CAAS, Key Laboratory of Cotton Genetic Improvement, Ministry of Agriculture, Anyang, Henan 455000, China )

Abstract: Based on a normalized full-length cDNA library of CCRI 36, a new CO protein gene was isolated from Gossypium hirsutum L. using RT-PCR methods, it was named GhCO (HM006910). The cDNA of GhCO contained 1017 bp and encoded a putative protein of 338 aa. The encoding protein had a typical CCT domain and two BBOX domains. Bioinformatics analysis indicated that the identities of the deduced GhCO amino acid were very high with Ricinus communis protein RcCO, and Mangifera indica protein MiCO. Sequence analysis indicated that the gene was a new member of the CO protein family. It was demonstrated that GhCO was expressed in flower, square, ovule, and other organs. The highest level of transcripts was accumulated in flower and square. GhCO was also strongly expressed prior to any morphological evidence of floral initiation, suggesting that cotton apex differentiation may be relevant. While the AtCO had been proved to be a positive on flowering time during the process of flower development, therefore, we speculate that GhCO protein play an important role in cotton flowering pathway. In order to study the function of GhCO protein furtherly ， we constructed a pBI GhCO over-expression vector.
Key words: cotton (Gossypium hirsutum L.); GhCO gene; QRT-PCR; over-expression vector
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