Cloning and expression analysis of alcohol acyltransferase (AAT) gene from apple (Malus domestica Borkh. 'Red Fuji')

Flavour played a distinctive role, among the key factors characterizing apple fruit quality, and contributed to the economic success of a cultivar. Alcohol acyltransferase (AAT) was a key enzyme involved in the last step of volatile ester biosynthesis. In this study, the AAT gene was cloned from apple (Malus domestica Borkh. 'Red Fuji'), that comprised 1,489 bp full-length cDNA with ORF of 1,368 bp (71-1,438) and encoding a protein of 455 amino acids. The theoretical molecular weight and isoelectric point of the deduced amino sequence of AAT were 50.75 kDa and 7.52, respectively. Sequence comparison of AAT with earlier reported AAT sequences in a database indicated conservation of 75-92%. The expression analysis of AAT by RT-PCR showed that the lever of AAT was highest in the peel and lowest in the seed, was higher at 10 weeks during the ripening harvest.