Nucleotide sequence of the tms genes of the pTiA6NC octopine Ti plasmid: two gene products involved in plant tumorigenesis.

The nucleotide sequence of the tumor morphology locus, tms, from pTiA6NC has been determined. The sequence analysis indicates that each of two polyadenylylated transcripts encoded by this locus contains an open reading frame; the predicted transcript 1 gene product has a molecular size of 83,769 daltons, and the predicted transcript 2 gene product, of 49,588 daltons. The precise start and stop positions of the transcript 2 RNA have been mapped with S1 nuclease. Several insertion mutations have been constructed. One of these localizes the transcript 2 promoter within the 72 base pairs 5' to transcription initiation. Significant homology was observed between the protein encoded by transcript 1 and the adenine binding region of p-hydroxybenzoate hydroxylase from Pseudomonas fluorescens, suggesting that the transcript 1 protein binds adenine either as substrate or cofactor.