A mini exon in the sucrose:sucrose 1-fructosyltransferase gene of wheat

We previously reported the cloning of a wheat sucrose:sucrose 1-fructosyltransferase (1-SST) cDNA, designated wft2. Wft2 proteins have fructosyltransferase enzyme activity and initiate fructan synthesis (Biosci. Biotechnol. Biochem. 66 (2002) 2297). In the current study, we cloned a genomic DNA fragment carrying the full-length 1-SST gene from winter wheat (Triticum aestivum). The genomic 1-SST gene is 3326 bp in length and contains four exons and three introns. Exon 2 has only 9 bp. This sequence encodes a part of a beta-fructosidase motif (NDPNG), a highly conserved motif found in plant invertases. This is the first report of a mini exon, one of the smallest exons known in plants, being found in a genomic 1-SST gene.