Abstract
We identified 77 EST clones encoding germin-like proteins (GLPs) from a moss, Physcomitrella patens in a database search. These Physcomitrella GLPs (PpGLPs) were separated into 7 groups based on DNA sequence homology. Phylogenetic analysis based on amino acid sequences showed that these groups were divided into two novel clades clearly distinguishable from higher plant germins and GLPs, named bryophyte subfamily 1 and 2. No higher plant germins and GLPs were grouped into the bryophyte subfamilies 1 and 2. PpGLPs in bryophyte subfamily 1 lack two conserved cysteines and 12 amino acids, whereas both of these amino acids exist in PpGLPs in bryophyte subfamily 2. Further, while the genomic sequences of PpGLP genes of bryophyte subfamily 1 contained one or two introns, those of bryophyte subfamily 2 contained no introns. Moreover, we revealed that PpGLP6 had manganese-containing extracellular superoxide dismutase activity.
