Isolation and characterization of a novel short-chain alcohol dehydrogenase gene from Panax ginseng

The cDNA of alcohol dehydrogenase (PgADH) was isolated and characterized from the leaf of Panax ginseng. The cDNA had an open reading frame of 801 bp and a deduced amino acid sequence of 266 residues. The calculated molecular mass of the mature protein is approximately 29 kDa with a predicated isoelectric point of 6.84. Homology analysis revealed that the deduced amino acid of PgADH shares a high degree of homology with the short-chain ADH proteins of other plants. Genomic DNA hybridization analysis indicated that PgADH represents a multi-gene family. The expression of PgADH under various environmental stresses was analyzed at different time points using real-time PCR. ABA, SA and especially JA (80-fold) significantly induced PgADH expression within 24 h of treatment. The positive responses of PgADH to abiotic stimuli suggest that ginseng ADH may protect against hormone-related environmental stresses.