A cDNA clone encoding pea (%um sativum L.) chloroplast thioredoxin (Trx) m and its transit peptide were isolated from a pea cDNA library. Its deduced amino acid sequence showed 70% homology with spinach (Spinacia oleracea L.) Trx m and 25% homology with Trx f from pea and spinach. After subcloning in the Ndel-BamHI sites of pET-lZa, the recombinant supplied 20 mg Trx m/2. Escherichia coli culture. This protein had 108 amino acids and was 12,000 D, which is identical t o the pea leaf native protein. Chloroplast FBPase (EC 3.1.3.11) is a highly regulated enzyme of the Benson-Calvin pathway (Bassham and Krause, 1969). It becomes active in the dark-light transition by reduction of an essential -S-S-bridge of the enzyme molecule, which promotes a conformational change to an active form (Jacquot, 1984). This reduction occurs via the Trx system, by which reduction equivalents from photosynthetic electron transport are channeled to Trx in a process catalyzed by the enzyme Fd-Trx reductase; the reduced Trx, in turn, transfers the reduction equivalents to FBPase by thiol-disulfide exchange (Buchanan, 1980;Scheibe, 1990 parts, both chloroplast Trxs show the same active cluster (-W-C-G-P-C-) and similar molecular size and folding (Eklund et al., 1991). However, their primary structures are quite different; the m form is closer to prokaryotic Trxs, and thef form is more similar to that from mammals (Hartman et al., 1990). Spinach Trxf is functional in the activation of FBPase and other chloroplast enzymes, whereas Trx m has been described as specific in NADP-malate dehydrogenase activation (Jacquot et al., 1978;Schiirmann et al., 1981). However, in the presence of the modulators Ca2' and Fru-1,6-bisphosphate, FBPase is also activated by Trx m (Schiirmann et al., 1985). A similar feature has been de-
MATERIALS AND METHODS
Chemicals and Biological MaterialRestriction enzymes, PCR reagents, isopropyl-P-Dthiogalactoside, substrates, and auxiliary enzymes for determination of FBPase activity were provided by Promega and Boehringer Mannheim. Chromatographic standards and prepacked Sephadex G-50 columns were from Pharmacia. Reagents and DEAE-cellulose membranes for western blotting were purchased from Sigma, Millipore, and Schleicher & Schuell. Other chemicals, including antibiotics and electrophoretic reagents, were of a molecular biology grade and were obtained from Sigma and Pharmacia.Chloroplast FBPase was obtained from pea leaves according to the method of ; pea Trxs m and f were purified from leaves, as described by Prado et al.