Isolation and characterization of a homologous to lipase gene from Brassica napus

Lipase is an important lipolytic enzyme involved in plant lipid metabolism. To analyze its function and roles during seed germination and growth, a full-length cDNA encoding a homologous to lipase gene named BnLIP1 was cloned from Brassica napus, cv. Huyou 15, by rapid amplification of cDNA ends. The BnLIP1 gene had a total length of 1318 bp, with an open reading frame of 1170 bp encoding 389 amino acid residues. Sequence analysis revealed that BnLIP1 protein belonged to the GDSL family of serine esterases/lipases. In B. napus genome, BnLIP1 is represented by several copies with the length of 1601 bp, the gene comprises five exons and four introns. RT-PCR analysis indicated that BnLIP1 showed no tissue-specific expression during reproductive growth and is strongly expressed during seed germination. No expression could be detected until three days after germination, and its peak was registered at the fifth day after germination. In conclusion, BnLIP1-encoded protein is predicted to be a lipolytic enzyme widely expressed at various stages of oilseed rape germination and development. Published in Russian in Fiziologiya Rastenii, 2006, Vol. 53, No. 3, pp. 410–417. The text was submitted by the authors in English.