Cloning of genomic DNA of rice 5-enolpyruvylshikimate 3-phosphate synthase gene and chromosomal localization of the gene

The shikimate pathway enzyme 5-enolpyruvylshikimate 3-phosphate synthase (EPSPs) is the target of nonselective herbicide glyphosate. A partial rice epsps cDNA was generated by RT-PCR with primers designed according to EST sequence in GenBank and used as probe for rice genomic library screening. In a screen of approximately 8.0 x10(4) clones from the rice genomic library, sixteen positive clones were obtained, which strongly hybridized to the probe. One clone, E11, was selected for further analysis and the full-length 3661 bp rice epsps genomic sequence was obtained. Sequence analysis and homologous comparison revealed that epsps gene is composed of 8 exons and 7 introns. Analysis by restriction fragment length polymorphism with the probe of rice epsps cDNA fragment confirmed that rice epsps is located on chromosome 6 with an indicajaponica (ZYQ8-JX17) double-haploid (DH) population. This is the first report on the EPSP synthase from monocotyledons.