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Common evolutionary origin of legume and non-legume plant haemoglobins

Nature volume 324, pages 166–168 (1986)Cite this article

Abstract

The detection of haemoglobins in distantly-related non-legume plant families1,2 as well as in the legume families raises the question of whether the origin of the plant haemoglobins was single or multiple, We have isolated a haemoglobin gene from Parasponia andersonii (Ulmaceae) which shows more than 50% nucleotide sequence homology with the haemoglobin genes of legume plants and has three introns at identical positions to the leghaemoglobin introns3–5. The Parasponia gene has homology to haemoglobin genes in another distantly-related nodulating plant, Casuarina. It also hybridizes at high stringency to sequences in a related, but non-nodulating genus, Trema. We conclude that the globin gene family may be widespread in modern plants, that plant haemoglobins may have a cryptic function in non-symbiotic tissue and that plant haemoglobins have evolved by vertical descent, probably from an ancestor common to modern plants and animals.

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Author notes

  1. Alexander A. Kortt: Division of Protein Chemistry, CSIRO, Parkville, Victoria 3052, Australia

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Division of Plant Industry, Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation, GPO Box 1600, Canberra, ACT, 2601, Australia

    Jörg Landsmann, Elizabeth S. Dennis, Thomas J. V. Higgins, Cyril A. Appleby, Alexander A. Kortt & W. James Peacock

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  1. Jörg Landsmann
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  2. Elizabeth S. Dennis
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  3. Thomas J. V. Higgins
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  4. Cyril A. Appleby
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  5. Alexander A. Kortt
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  6. W. James Peacock
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Landsmann, J., Dennis, E., Higgins, T. et al. Common evolutionary origin of legume and non-legume plant haemoglobins. Nature 324, 166–168 (1986). https://doi.org/10.1038/324166a0

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