Nuclear-encoded tobacco chloroplast ribosomal protein L24. Protein identification, sequence analysis of cDNAs encoding its cytoplasmic precursor, and mRNA and genomic DNA analysis.

Using a Nicotiana tabacum leaf cDNA library in the expression vector lambda gt11, two cDNAs encoding the full-length precursor polypeptide (M(r) 20,696) of tobacco chloroplast ribosomal protein L24 were identified and sequenced. These cDNAs encode a mature protein of 146 amino acids (M(r) 16,418) with a transit peptide of 41 amino acids (M(r) 4,278). The mature tobacco L24 protein has 78, 65, 45, and 35% sequence identity with ribosomal proteins L24 of pea, spinach, Bacillus subtilis, and Escherichia coli, respectively. The transit peptide of tobacco L24 is 54 and 57% identical with that of L24 chloroplast ribosomal proteins of pea and spinach, respectively. An expressed beta-galactosidase:L24 fusion protein, bound to nitrocellulose filters, was used as affinity matrix to purify monospecific antibody to L24 protein. Using this monospecific antibody protein L24 was identified among high performance liquid chromatography (HPLC)-purified tobacco chloroplast ribosome 50 S subunit proteins. The predicted amino terminus of the mature L24 protein was confirmed by partial sequencing of the HPLC-purified L24 protein. Northern blot analysis revealed a single mRNA band (0.85-0.90 kilobase) corresponding in size to full-length L24 cDNA. The presence of multiple genes for L24 is suggested by Southern blot hybridization and characterization of two cDNAs for L24 which only differ in their 3'-noncoding sequences.