In Silico Analysis of Gibberellin-20 Oxidase-2

Gibberellins (GAs) constitute a large group of natural tetracyclic diterpenoids. Active Gibberellins function as hormones in plants, controlling many aspects of development, including stem extension, fruit set, and seed germination. Gibberellin-20 oxidase-2 enzyme catalyzes the sequential oxidation of GA53 to GA20. The semidwarfing gene in rice (sd-1) is one of the most important genes deployed in modern rice breeding. Its recessive character results in a shortened culm with improved lodging resistance and a greater harvest index. In an attempt to identify the homologs of GA20ox2 in other crop species sequence database scanning was performed. Several homologoues were obtained with varied degree of identity between them. The deduced amino acid sequences were aligned and phylogenetic trees were constructed to determine the consensus pattern of sequences and for establishing the relationship among the GA20ox2 of rice and other crops. On the basis of alignment, proteins were designated to their respective groups. In silico analysis has identified several homologues of GA20ox2 in various species and provided insight into their evolutionary relationships.