Molecular Cloning and Nucleotide Sequence Analysis of the Gene Coding for Chloroplast-type Ferredoxin from the Dinoflagellates Peridinium bipes and Alexandrium tamarense

Abstract

We cloned and sequenced the fedQ encoding chloroplast-type ferredoxins of dinoflagellates Peridinium bipes and Alexandrium tamarense. The phylogenetic relationships inferred from their amino acid sequences show that dinoflagellates are closely related to members ofchlorophytes. Transit peptides of dinoflagellate ferredoxins show the common feature of land plants, however, they contain signal peptides at amino-termini. The signal peptide may function to translocatethe 3 membranes chloroplast envelope of dinoflagellates. The eukaryotic promoter consensus motifs such as TATA box and CAAT box were not found in the upstream regions of ferredoxin genes as far as they are sequenced. Instead GC box which is found in housekeeping genes was recognized. These findingsare very interesting to show the peculiarity and complexity of dinoflagellates.