The 33 kDa protein of the oxygen-evolving complex: a multi-gene family in tomato.

A cDNA was isolated by chance from tomato which had a high similarity to a cDNA clone from potato known to code for the 33 kDa protein of the oxygen-evolving complex [van Spanje et al. (1991) Plant Mol. Biol. 17: 157]. The sequence of a previously described partial cDNA clone from tomato [Ko et al. (1990) Plant Mol. Biol. 14: 217] which has also a high similarity but is not identical to the sequence described here indicates that tomato contains at least two genes coding for 33 kDa proteins per haploid genome. This conclusion is supported by Southern blot analysis. The tissue specific expression of the corresponding genes is described.