Chloroplast Genome of Vigna aconififolia and Localization of Certain Photosynthesis-related Genes

The restriction analysis of chloroplast genome of Vigna aeonitifolia has revealed that it is about 150 kb in size, similar to V. radiata. The restriction pattern of chloroplast DNA (cpDNA) for Pst I is also the same from both the species, but restriction fragment length polymorphism is observed in cases of Kpn I and Sstl. These differences in the restriction patterns have arisen because of the occurrence of different restriction sites in the chloroplast genome of V. aconitifolia. A restriction map of cpDNA for V. aeonitifolia has been prepared on the basis of these observations. Furthermore, seven genes (psbA, psbB, psbC, psbD, psaA, psaB and rbcL) — coding for polypeptides of photosystems I and II as well as the large subunit of ribulose 1,5-bisphosphate carboxylaseloxygenase — have been localized on the Pst I — and Kpn I — generated restriction fragments of V. aconitifolia with the help of heterologous gene-specific probes and their relative position on the restriction map is presented. The gene organization supports the view that an inversion of about 50 kb has occurred in Vigna cpDNA as compared to other species.