Molecular Cloning and Expression Analysis of an Mn-SOD Gene from Nelumbo nucifera

A rapid amplification cDNA end (RACE) assay was established to achieve the complete sequence of mitochondrial manganese-superoxide dismutase (Mn-SOD) cDNA in Nelumbo nucifera. The obtained full-length cDNA of Mn-SOD was 926 bp and contained a 699-bp open reading frame encoding an Mn-SOD precursor of 233 amino acids. The recombinant of Mn-SOD expressed by PET-32a vector in Escherichia coli BL21 was confirmed by sodium dodecyl sulfate polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis and Western blotting assays. A 3D structural model of the Mn-SOD was constructed by homology modeling. Real-time polymerase chain reaction analysis revealed that Mn-SOD mRNA was expressed in young leaves, blossom, stems, and terminal buds during reproductive stage but with the highest expression in young leaves. This significant difference demonstrated the differential expression of Mn-SOD in various organs of N. nucifera.