Abstract: Firstly, a differential TDF (Transcript Derived Fragments) EST54-1 from the RNA of bud aborting of male sterile Chinese cabbage by cDNA-AFLP analysis was used as a querying probe to blast homologous ESTs sequences in the GenBank database, we spliced the homologous EST sequences assembled from GenBank, and gained an virtual sequence of 1 574 bp length. Then, two primers were designed from it, the full length cDNA of malate dehydrogenase gene in Chinese cabbage was gained through RT-PCR amplifying and sequencing and entered GenBank as accession number FJ208590, which is 1 209 bp length and coded 403 amino acids. Homologous analysis showed that the cDNA amplified had 99% identity with sequence from in silico cloning on the nucleotide acid sequence, and amino acids sequence derived from it had 100% identity with Malate Dehydrogenase (MDH) in Arabidopsis. Though the expression capacity of MDH gene in Chinese cabbage was depressed as bud aborting, the relationship between MDH and bud abortion in Chinese cabbage need to be clarified through further research such as RNAi technology etc.

Key words: Chinese cabbage, bud aborting, in silico cloning, RT-PCR, malate dehydrogenase