Molecular Characterization of a Catalase Gene (VsCat) from Vicia sativa

In plants, catalases are encoded by a multigene family and are predominantly localized in the peroxisomes and glyoxysomes for scavenging H2O2. A full-length cDNA encoding Catalase (VsCat) was isolated from Vicia sativa using RT-PCR. The cDNA consisted of 1485 bp open reading frame (ORF) encoding a 494 amino acid polypeptide with a predicted molecular mass of 57.03 kDa and an estimated pI of 6.56. The predicted protein was highly homologues to other catalases from legume plants and contained typical catalytic active site, calmodulin binding domain, and internal peroxisomal targeting signal. Phylogenetic analysis revealed that VsCat is evolutionary close to faba bean and pea Cat1. The expression patterns of VsCat under different abiotic stresses and exogenous phytohormones were determined by quantitative RT-PCR. Compared to control plants, VsCat was differentially up-regulated in response to abiotic stresses and phytohormones. The expression analysis suggested that VsCat is involved in different abiotic stress responses. In future experiment, transgenic plants overexpressing VsCat might be a good choice to increase tolerance of forage plants to environmental stresses.