Cloning of a Putative Pectate Lyase Gene Expressed in the Subventral Esophageal Glands of Heterodera glycines

We report the cloning of a Heterodera glycines cDNA that has 72% identity at the amino acid level to a pectate lyase from Globodera rostochiensis. In situ hybridizations showed that the corresponding gene (Hg-pel-1) is expressed in the subventral esophageal gland cells of second-stage juveniles. The deduced amino acid sequence of the H. glycines cDNA shows homology to class III pectate lyases of bacterial and fungal origin.