Phytochrome-mediated activation of the gene for cytosolic glutamine-synthetase (GS1) during imbibition of photosensitive lettuce seeds.

A full-length cDNA encoding glutamine synthetase was isolated from a lambda gt11 library constructed from the poly(A)+ RNA isolated from lettuce seeds incubated under red light. The nucleotide sequence of the cDNA and the deduced sequence of amino acids showed a high degree of homology to those of the cytosol-type glutamine synthetase from other plants. Northern and dot-blot analyses of poly(A)+ RNA extracted from the seeds incubated under various light conditions showed that the activation of the gene for cytosolic glutamine-synthetase during imbibition of lettuce seeds is directly or indirectly regulated by phytochrome.