Abstract: Abstract: Two different full lengths of EG cDNAs, termedas LcEG1 and LcEG2, were isolated from litchi fruit using RT-PCR and RACE (rapid amplification of cDNA ends) methods. Sequence alignment showed that four typical Cys residues and two predicted glycosyl hydrolase activesites were observed in the deduced LcEG1 and LcEG2 proteins.Northern blotting analysis showed that the level of LcEG1 mRNA accumulation gradually decreased in pericarpbut steadily increased in aril accompanying with fruit growth and development, while the expression of LcEG2 could only be detected in aril at early stage of fruit development.More importantly, the accumulation of LcEG1 mRNA was higher in cracking-susceptible cultivar Nuomici than that
in cracking-resistant cultivar Huaizhi at any stage of fruit development.Thus, it could be speculated that LcEG1 was closely related to the growth and cracking of litchi fruit, while, LcEG2 was only related to the growth of fruit at the early phase.
Key words: litchi; EG; fruit growth; fruit cracking; gene; clone; expression