In Silico Cloning and Sequence Analysis of Phospholipase Dα Gene from Peach Fruit

Phospholipase D (PLD, EC 3.1.4.4) plays an important role in adaptive response of postharvest fruit to environment. In this study, a novel cDNA of PLDα was isolated with the strategy of in silico cloning in combination with RT-PCR from peach (Prunus persica L. cv. Jiubao). The obtained PLDα gene contained a complete open reading frame encoding a 92- kDa protein of 810 amino acid residues, which possessed the characteristic C2 domain and two catalytic HKD motifs. The alignment analysis of the deduced peach PLDα protein with other known PLDα family proteins indicated that peach PLDα was conserved and highly homologous with strawberry PLDα. Semi-quantitative RT-PCR and Northern blot analysis indicated PLDα mRNA in peach fruits could be induced by low temperature. This work provided a scientific basis for further investigating the mechanism of postharvest fruit adaptation to low temperature.