To isolate genes related to resistance to Erysiphe graminis DC. ex Merat f. sp. tritici Em. Marchal in wheat (Triticum aestivum L.), differential display analysis was conducted for mRNA extracted from the seedlings of the wheat-Haynaldia villosa 6VS/6AL translocation line 92RI37 that contains the powdery mildew resistance gene Pm21. A full-length cDNA named TaPK1 was isolated. BLAST analysis revealed that it was significantly homologous to Glycine max (L.) Merr. protein kinase (GmPK6) cDNA. TaPK1 encodes a 416 amino acid long polypeptide, which belongs to serine/threonine protein kinase family, also has tyrosine kinase specificity. TaPK1 is a novel protein kinase from wheat.
