A novel blue light- and abscisic acid-inducible gene of Arabidopsis thaliana encoding an intrinsic membrane protein

Continuous irradiation with blue light (400–500 nm) induces flower formation in plantlets of Arabidopsis thaliana (C24) while red light (600–700 nm) is ineffective. This observation started a search for genes that are activated by blue light and initiate the morphogenic programme leading to flower formation. Several genes were identified via their cDNAs. From these clone AthH2, with an open reading frame for a hydrophobic 30.5 kDa polypeptide, was selected for further characterization of the corresponding gene. From a genomic library a DNA fragment of about 6.4 kb was isolated, comprising the coding region as well as 5-upstream and 3-downstream flanking segments. The coding region is composed of four exons, which specify a polypeptide of 286 amino acids. Several potential regulatory elements were found between position –670 and –1140 including GA and ABA sequence motifs. The latter could account for the observed induction of the AthH2 gene by ABA. Southern blot analysis of Arabidopsis genomic DNA suggests that the AthH2 gene is encoded by a single-copy gene. Hydropathy plots and secondary structure analysis of the putative polypeptide predict six membrane-spanning domains implicating a function as transmembrane channel protein. It displays significant homology with the proteins TR7a of pea (82%) and RD 28 of A. thaliana (68%).