Improved and convenient method of RNA isolation from polyphenols and polysaccharide rich plant tissues.

It has been difficult to extract a good quality total RNA from the plant parts (such as seeds) which contain high levels of phenolic compounds, carbohydrates and other compounds that bind and/or co-precipitate with RNA. A simple, rapid and efficient method for isolating total RNA from polyphenols and polysaccharide rich plant tissues has been developed. Seeds of leguminosae family were chosen for the study.

Isolation and characterization of a lectin gene from seeds of chickpea (Cicer arietinum L.).

A cDNA library was constructed in lambda TriplEx2 vector using poly (A(+)) RNA from immature seeds of Cicer arietinum. The lectin gene was isolated from seeds of chickpea through library screening and RACE-PCR. The full-length cDNA of Chichpea seed lectin(CpGL)is 972 bp and contains a 807 bp open reading frame encoding a 268 amino acid protein.

Single-copy genes define a conserved order between rice and wheat for understanding differences caused by duplication, deletion, and transposition of genes.

The high-quality rice genome sequence is serving as a reference for comparative genome analysis in crop plants, especially cereals. However, early comparisons with bread wheat showed complex patterns of conserved synteny (gene content) and colinearity (gene order). Here, we show the presence of ancient duplicated segments in the progenitor of wheat, which were first identified in the rice genome.