Molecular cloning of beta-kafirin, a methionine-rich protein of sorghum grain

Eight independantly amplified clones, four each from genomic DNA and cDNA, were sequenced. They encoded beta-kafirin proteins with identical amino acid sequences, the mature proteins comprising 172 amino acids including 16 methionine residues and 8 cysteine residues. The identical sequences of the clones and the results of Southern blot analysis were consistent with the presence of a single gene copy. Northern blotting showed that the transcripts were present in developing seeds between 14 and 35 days after anthesis.