Structural Characteristics of the Putative Protein Encoded by Arabidopsis AtMTN3 Gene

A putative protein encoded by Arabidopsis AtMTN3 gene, a homologue of Medicago truncatula MTN3, consists of 285 amino acid residues, and has a predicted molecular mass of 31.5 kDa and a calculated pI of 9.1. Primary amino acid sequence analyses have revealed that the protein contains seven putative transmembrane regions with N-terminus oriented to the outside of the membrane. The AtMTN3 protein shows overall 16.4% of amino acid identity with the rat GALR3 protein, known to be a G-protein-coupled receptor. The gene is present as a single copy in the Arabidopsis genome, and expressed in aerial parts but not in roots of Arabidopsis. Therefore, AtMTN3 appears not to be specifically involved in Rhizobium-induced nodule development, as was predicted for the MTN3 gene. These proteins possibly mediate signal transmission through G-protein-coupled pathways during general interactions between plants and symbiotic or pathogenic microbes.