Rheum palmatum has been widely developed in traditional Chinese medicine. One of the major active compounds in R. palmatum is flavonoids. Until now, few genes involved in flavonoid biosynthesis have been isolated from this medicinal plant. In this study, a new chalcone isomerase gene (RpCHI) was cloned from an RNA-seq library of R. palmatum. The 714bp RpCHI cDNA was cloned and sequenced. The RpCHI recombinant protein was successfully overexpressed in a prokaryotic expression system and purified to homogeneity by a nickel-nitrilotriacetic acid (Ni-NTA) prepacked column, and the enzymatic activity was investigated. The results have clarified that RpCHI was assembled into the type I CHI group based on phylogenetic analysis. |
