Functional analysis of a reproductive organ predominant expressing promoter in cotton plants

The successful development and application of transgenic Bt cotton is a milestone of cotton produc-tion in China[1]. However, the CaMV35s promoter is commonly used for driving Bt gene expression in transgenic cotton plants. During infection, the CaMV35S promoter can direct the synthesis of 35RNA [2]. From the aspect of bio-security, it would be more secure and compatible if the promoter of cot-ton plants could be utilized for transgene expression[3]. In addition, studies showed that unde…     

Functional analysis of a reproductive organ predominant expressing promoter in cotton plants

Transgenic Bt insect-resistant cotton plants have high insect resistance in the early stage of development, but relatively low resistance in the late stage. Substituting a reproductive organ-specific promoter for the CaMV35S promoter presently being used could be an ideal solution. For the first time, the promoter sequence of ADP-ribosylation factor 1 (arf1) gene was isolated from Gossypium hirsutumY18 by means of inverse PCR. The sequencing result discovered the unique structure of the arf1 promoter, including four promoter-specific elements, the initiator, TATA box, CAAT box and GC box, and also an intron in 5′-untranslation region. Four plant expression vectors were constructed for functional analysis of the promoter. Based on the pBI121 plant expression vector, four truncated arf1 promoters took the place of the CaMV35S promoter. These vectors were different only in their promoter regions. They were introduced into cotton plants via pollen tube pathway. Histochemical GUS staining and fluorescence quantitative analyses were performed to examine the expression patterns of the GUS gene driven by the 4 arf1 truncated promoters in transgenic cotton plants respectively. The results showed that the arf1 promoter was a typical reproductive organ-specific promoter. Hopefully, the arf1 promoter can be a regulatory element for designing cotton reproductive organs with desired characteristics.     

Promoter cassettes, antibiotic-resistance genes, and vectors for plant transformation

We have constructed a set of plant transformation vectors, promoter cassettes, and chimeric antibiotic-resistance genes for the transformation and expression of foreign genes in plants sensitive to Agrobacterium infection. The different vectors allow for either concurrent or consecutive selection for kanamycin and hygromycin resistance and have a number of unique restriction sites for the insertion of additional DNA. The promoter cassettes utilize the CaMV 19S and CaMV 35S promoters and are constructed to allow for the easy insertion of foreign genes. The cloned gene can then easily be inserted into the transformation vectors. We have utilized the promoter cassettes to express the hygromycin-resistance gene either from the CaMV 35S or the CaMV 19S promoters, with both chimeric resistance genes allowing for the selection of hygromycin-resistant tobacco plants.     

Deletional analysis of functional regions of complementary sense promoter from cotton leaf curl virus

Complementary sense promoter from cotton leaf curl virus (CLCuV) is a novel plant promoter for genetic engineering that could drive high-level foreign gene expression in plant. To determine the optimal promoter sequence for gene expression, CLCuV promoter was deleted from its 5' end to form promoter fragments with five different lengths, and chimeric gus genes were constructed using the promoterdeletion. These vectors were delivered into Agrobacterium and tobacco (Nicotiana tabacum L cv. Xanthi) plants which were transformed by leaf discs method. GUS activity of transgenic plants was measured. The results showed that GUS activities with the promoter deleted to -287 and -271 from the translation initiation site were respectively about five and three times that of full-length promoter. There exists a c/s-element which is important for the expressing activity in phloem from -271 to -176. Deletion from -176 to -141 resulted in a 20-30-fold reduction in GUS activity in leaves with weak activity in leaves and     

植物双元表达载体pCRI1210的构建及其功能验证

pBI121是转基因研究中的常用载体,但是其多克隆位点相对较少,所携带的GUS基因检测较为复杂。为了增加其多克隆位点,增强其表达效率,简化其检测方法,本研究在pBI121载体的基础上,在其骨架中插入含有CaMV35S启动子、棉花β-tubulin基因内含子和CaMV 35S polyA终止子的干涉表达框,该表达框含有GFP报告基因。通过验证,所插入的干涉表达框能够正常表达插入的外源基因,且GFP基因可以正常表达。该载体被命名为pCRI1210,它是一种双元植物表达载体,既可以用来当作表达载体,又可以用作干涉载体。本研究为转基因研究提供了一种非常实用的工具。     

The Commelina Yellow Mottle Virus Promoter Is a Strong Promoter in Vascular Tissue of Transgenic Gossypium hirsutum Plants

Explants of cotton (Gossypium hirsutum L. cv. Jingmian 7) were transformed with Agrobacterium tumefaciens (Smith et Townsend ) Conn LBA4404 harboring an expression cassette composed of CoYMV (Commelina Yellow Mottle Virus) promoter-gus-nos terminator on the plant expression vector pBcopd2. Transgenic plants were regenerated and selected on a medium containing kanamycin. GUS (β-glucuronidase) activity assays and Southern blot analysis confirmed that the chimerical gus gene was integrated into and expressed in the regenerated cotton plants. Plant expression vector pBI121 was also transferred into the same cotton variety and the regenerated transgenic plants were used as a positive control in GUS activity analysis. Evidences from histochemical analysis of GUS activity demonstrated that under the control of a 597 bp CoYMV promoter the gus gene was highly expressed in the vascular tissues of leaves, petioles, stems, roots, hypocotyls, bracteal leaves and most of the flower parts while GUS activity could not be detected in stigma, anther sac and developing cotton fibers of the transgenic cotton plants. GUS specific activity in various organs and tissues from transgenic cotton lines was determined and the results indicated that the CoYMV promoter-gus activities were at the same level or higher than that of CaMV 35S promoter-gus in leaf veins and roots where the vascular tissues occupy a relatively larger part of the organs, but in other organs like leaves, cotyledons and hypocotyls where the vascular tissues occupy a smaller part of the organs the CoYMV promoter-gus activity was only 1/3-1/5 of the CaMV 35S promoter-gus activity. The GUS activity ratio between veins and leaves was averaged 0.5 for 35S-GUS plants and about 2.0 for CoYMV promoter-gus transgenic plants. These results further demonstrated the vascular specific property of the promoter in transgenic cotton plants. An increasing trend of GUS activity in leaf vascular tissues of transgenic cotton plants developing from young to older was observed.     

Promoter and genotype dependent transient expression of a reporter gene in plant protoplasts.

For analysis of expression of three different plant promoters such as CaMV 35S, rbc S and mas, compact plasmid vectors were constructed by use of beta-glucuronidase (GUS) gene and nos termination signal. The plasmid molecules were introduced into tobacco and tomato protoplasts by using the Mg2+/PEG transformation protocol described by Negrutiu et al. The transient assays revealed maximum expression two days after DNA uptake. The comparative studies show the following order of promoters mas, CaMV 35S, rbc S as far as the activity is concerned. We also detected genotype-dependent promoter activity in the case of tomato.     

橡胶树白粉菌(HO-73)启动子WY172不同长度片段的克隆及表达活性分析

旨在克隆橡胶树白粉菌启动子WY172及其上游2K序列上4个不同长度缺失片段,以分析启动子各片段的表达活性。基于实验室前期研究基础,以WY172上游2K序列作为研究对象进行渐变缺失突变,得到4个不同长度的可能具有启动子活性的片段,结合WY172,选用pBI121载体作为骨架,分别替换GUS基因前的CaMV35S启动子,并分别构建重组表达载体,通过ATMT法转化农杆菌;利用GUS染色法和酶活性检测,分析WY172启动子及不同长度片段的酶活性。分别构建了pBI121-WY172、pBI121-WY172Q、pBI121-WY172Q1、pBI121-WY172Q2、pBI121-WY172Q3共5个重组的植物表达载体,所有植物表达载体烟草瞬时表达GUS染色均有蓝色出现,且蓝色程度均强于阳性对照CaMV35S启动子,其中pBI121-WY172Q3的GUS染色相对最深;GUS酶活性测定结果显示所有缺失突变片段都具有调控基因表达的启动子活性,且启动活性均强于CaMV35S启动子,WY172Q3调控GUS基因表达的活性最高。因此我们判断WY172及其上游2K序列上4个不同长度缺失片段均具有启动子活性,其中以WY172Q3启动子片段的表达活性最强。     

Expression of CaMV35S-GUS gene in transgenic rice plants

Summary To understand the properties of the cauliflower mosaic virus (CaMV) 35S promoter in a monocotyledonous plant, rice (Oryza sativa L.), a transgenic plant and its progeny expressing the CaMV35S-GUS gene were examined by histochemical and fluorometric assays. The histochemical study showed that -glucuronidase (GUS) activity was primarily localized at or around the vascular tissue in leaf, root and flower organs. The activity was also detected in the embryo and endosperm of dormant and germinating seeds. The fluorometric assay of various organs showed that GUS activity in transgenic rice plants was comparable to the reported GUS activity in transgenic tobacco plants expressing the CaMV35S-GUS gene. The results indicate that the level of expression of the CaMV 35S promoter in rice is similar to that in tobacco, a dicotyledonous plant, suggesting that it is useful for expression of a variety of foreign genes in rice plants.     

棉花曲叶病毒反式作用因子AC2的功能初探

有关非洲木薯花叶病毒（ACMV）、番茄金色花叶病毒（TGMV）的研究表明,双生病毒编码的反式作用因子AC2反式激活病毒链基因启动子的瞬时表达。以棉花曲叶病毒（CLCuV)侵染的烟草叶片组织总的DNA为模板,通过聚合酶反应扩增CLCuV的AC2基因片段并插入克隆载体。将AC2置于CaMV35S启动子下构建了瞬时表达载体。通过基因他法将质粒载体导入烟草（Nicotiana tabacumL.)和棉花（Gossypium hirstumL.)叶片细胞中进行瞬时表达,结果表明,在反式作用因子AC2的激活下,病毒链基因启动子驱动的GUS活性明显增强,然而激活后的病毒链基因启动子的活性仍低于互补链基因方向启动子;其表达方式与互补链基因启动子相似,即在叶肉及叶脉维管组织均有较高的活性。还探讨了AC2在土壤杆菌介导的转基因植物中的表达行为。     

Isolation and characterization of a novel plant promoter that directs strong constitutive expression of transgenes in plants

A novel, constitutively expressed gene, designated MtHP, was isolated from the model legume species Medicago truncatula. Sequence analysis indicates that MtHP most likely belongs to the PR10 multi-gene family. The MtHP promoter was fused to a -glucuronidase gene to characterize its expression in different plant species. Transient assay by microprojectile bombardment and hairy root transformation by Agrobacterium rhizogenes revealed GUS expression in leaf, stem, radicle and root in M. truncatula. Detailed analysis in transgenic Arabidopsis plants demonstrated that the promoter could direct transgene expression in different tissues and organs at various developmental stages; its expression pattern was similar to that of CaMV35S promoter, and the level of expression was higher than the reporter gene driven by CaMV35S promoter. Deletion analysis revealed that even a 107 bp fragment of the promoter could still lead to a moderate level of expression. The promoter was further characterized in white clover (Trifolium repens), a widely grown forage legume species. Strong constitutive expression was observed in transgenic white clover plants. Compared with CaMV35S promoter, the level of GUS activity in transgenic white clover was higher when the transgene was driven by MtHP promoter. Thus, the promoter provides a useful alternative to the CaMV35S promoter in plant transformation for high levels of constitutive expression.