Isolation and Characterization of a cDNA Encoding Maize Cyto solic Malate Dehydrogenase

A cDNA fragment derived from a gene over-expressing in hybrid maize ( Zea mays L. ) was isolated with RT-PCR and used as probe to screen cDNA library of hybrid maize seedlings. A positive cDNA clone ZH02 corresponding to the full-length mRNA sequence was obtained, which was shown to have an open reading frame encoding 332 a.a. DNA and proteinase database search revealed that the deduced amino acid sequence of ZH02 has high similarity with the cMDH of Mesembryaathemum crystallium L. and Arabidopsis thaliana (L.) Heynh. up to 90% and 84%, respectively. This is the first report of the full-length gene coding for the cereal cMDH.