Cloning and functional expression of a novel geranylgeranyl pyrophosphate synthase gene from Arabidopsis thaliana in Escherichia coli

A gene encoding a novel geranylgeranyl pyrophosphate (GGPP) synthase from Arabidopsis thaliana has been identified and termed GGPS5, The gene has been sequenced and expressed in Escherichia coli. The deduced amino acid sequence showed 64.5% and 57.5% identity with a putative GGPP synthase from Arabidopsis and Capsicum annuum, respectively. GGPP enzymatic activity was detected in E. coli cells expressing the GGPS5 gene in two different ways, One was the direct measurement of GGPP synthase activity in cell extracts and the other was the yellow color production of cells when the GGPS5 gene was co-expressed with crtB, crtI, crtX, cptY and crtZ genes derived from Erwinia uredovora.