Unusual sequence and characteristics of a chick-pea seed protein which is regulated by abscisic acid and is similar to late-embryogenesis-abundant proteins.

The cDNA clone GAB-9 was selected from a cDNA gene library constructed from the mRNA of embryonic axes of chick-pea (Cicer arietinum L.) seeds imbibed for 12 h in the presence of abscisic acid. The sequence of this cDNA has an open reading frame of 546 nucleotides that code for 182 amino acids. The polypeptide encoded by the corresponding mRNA is of approx. 20.5 kDa, is basic, and has a broad hydrophobic central region flanked by two hydrophilic regions. The unusual characteristics of this protein, which is similar to late-embryogenesis-abundant proteins, and its possible function are discussed.