An alfalfa (Medicago sativa L.) cDNA encoding an acidic leghemoglobin (MsLb3).

We have found an alfalfa cDNA clone that encodes an acidic leghemoglobin. To date, 14 alfalfa leghemoglobin clones have been identified. Five different leghemoglobin 'components' have been biochemically defined on the basis of their pI. A higher-resolution comparison, provided by sequence data analysis, identifies six leghemoglobin 'classes'. All 14 leghemoglobins are assigned to the six 'classes', which can be distributed among the five leghemoglobin 'components'. The newly identified leghemoglobin is the only member of a sixth 'class' of leghemoglobins, and it also is the only member of one of the acidic leghemoglobin 'components' IV or V.