Objective Critical factors in the ethylene signal transduction pathway involving the post-harvest physiological deterioration (PPD) of cassava were investigated.
Method One of the possible ethylene response factors (ERFs) in Manihot esculenta cv.SC8, MeERF1.2, was cloned using RT-PCR to analyze the expressions during PPD. Physicochemical properties, conserved domain, genetic evolutionary relationship, and protein structure of the gene were studied with bioinformatics tools. Distribution of MeERF1.2 in the plant cells was verified by online software and subcellular localization.
Result MeERF1.2 had an ORF of 660 bp encoded 188 amino acids with a molecular weight of 25.04 kD and a pI of 5.61. The protein contained an AP2 domain showing a high sequence similarity of 88.74% with the HbERF1B-like gene. It was localized in the nucleus and significantly upregulated during PPD from 0 to 6, 12, and 48 h displaying an apparent induction trend in the process.
Conclusion MeERF1.2 was one of the ERFs induced in cassava tubers during PPD and played a vital role in the signal transduction pathway of the plant.
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