Embryo and anther regulation of the mabinlin II sweet protein gene in Capparis masaikai Lévl

Mabinlin II is one of the major sweet proteins stored in the seeds of Capparis masaikai Lévl. Its promoter region (779 bp) located 5′ upstream of the mabinlin II gene has been isolated and named as MBL-779 (GenBank accession number, EU014073). This promoter contains two typical TATA box regions and a series of motifs related to seed-specific promoters, such as ACGT motifs, RY motif, napin motif, and G box. The MBL-779 promoter drove GUS gene to transiently express in the embryos of bean, maize, and rice seeds or to constantly express in the embryos and anthers of the transgenic Arabidopsis. The MBL-779 promoter regulated gene expression from approximately the 12th day and peaked on approximately the 16th day after flowering in Arabidopsis. The −300-bp promoter region is a minimal sequence required to functionally regulate gene expression. The CAATs at −325 to −322 bp and −419 to −416 bp and the region at −485 to −770 bp play a role in the quantitative regulation of gene expression. The RY motif, CATGAC, at −117 to −112 bp and the ACGT within the G box (CACGTG) at −126 to −123 bp positively regulate gene expression. X.-W. Hu and S.-X. Liu have the same contribution as first author.     

The sucrose synthase-1 promoter from Citrus sinensis directs expression of the β-glucuronidase reporter gene in phloem tissue and in response to wounding in transgenic plants

Interest in phloem-specific promoters for the engineering of transgenic plants has been increasing in recent years. In this study we isolated two similar, but distinct, alleles of the Citrus sinensis sucrose synthase-1 promoter (CsSUS1p) and inserted them upstream of the β-glucuronidase (GUS) gene to test their ability to drive expression in the phloem of transgenic Arabidopsis thaliana and Nicotiana tabacum. Although both promoter variants were capable of conferring localized GUS expression in the phloem, the CsSUS1p-2 allele also generated a significant level of expression in non-target tissues. Unexpectedly, GUS expression was also instigated in a minority of CsSUS1p::GUS lines in response to wounding in the leaves of transgenic Arabidopsis. Deletion analysis of the CsSUS1p suggested that a fragment comprising nucleotides −410 to −268 relative to the translational start site contained elements required for phloem-specific expression while nucleotides −268 to −103 contained elements necessary for wound-specific expression. Interestingly, the main difference between the two CsSUS1p alleles was the presence of a 94-bp insertion in allele 2. Fusion of this indel to a minimal promoter and GUS reporter gene indicated that it contained stamen and carpel-specific enhancer elements. This finding of highly specific and separable regulatory units within the CsSUS1p suggests that this promoter may have a potential application in the generation of constructs for the use in the development of transgenic plants resistant to a wide variety of target pests.     

Pollen-Specific Expression of <Emphasis Type="Italic">Oryza sativa Indica</Emphasis> Pollen Allergen Gene (<Emphasis Type="Italic">OSIPA</Emphasis>) Promoter in Rice and <Emphasis Type="Italic">Arabidopsis</Emphasis> Transgenic Systems

Earlier, a pollen-specific Oryza sativa indica pollen allergen gene (OSIPA), coding for expansins/pollen allergens, was isolated from rice, and its promoter—upon expression in tobacco and Arabidopsis—was found active during the late stages of pollen development. In this investigation, to analyze the effects of different putative regulatory motifs of OSIPA promoter, a series of 5′ deletions were fused to β-glucuronidase gene (GUS) which were stably introduced into rice and Arabidopsis. Histochemical GUS analysis of the transgenic plants revealed that a 1631 bp promoter fragment mediates maximum GUS expression at different stages of anther/pollen development. Promoter deletions to −1272, −966, −617, and −199 bp did not change the expression profile of the pollen specificity. However, the activity of promoter was reduced as the length of promoter decreased. The region between −1567 and −199 bp was found adequate to confer pollen-specific expression in both rice and Arabidopsis systems. An approximate 4-fold increase in the GUS activity was observed in the pollen of rice when compared to that of Arabidopsis. As such, the OSIPA promoter seems promising for generation of stable male-sterile lines required for the production of hybrids in rice and other crop plants.     

The promoter of the pepper pathogen-induced membrane protein gene <Emphasis Type="Italic">CaPIMP1</Emphasis> mediates environmental stress responses in plants

The promoter of the pepper pathogen-induced membrane protein gene CaPIMP1 was analyzed by an Agrobacterium-mediated transient expression assay in tobacco leaves. Several stress-related cis-acting elements (GT-1, W-box and ABRE) are located within the CaPIMP1 promoter. In tobacco leaf tissues transiently transformed with a CaPIMP1 promoter-β-glucuronidase (GUS) gene fusion, serially 5′-deleted CaPIMP1 promoters were differentially activated by Pseudomonas syringae pv. tabaci, ethylene, methyl jasmonate, abscisic acid, and nitric oxide. The −1,193 bp region of the CaPIMP1 gene promoter sequence exhibited full promoter activity. The −417- and −593 bp promoter regions were sufficient for GUS gene activation by ethylene and methyl jasmonate treatments, respectively. However, CaPIMP1 promoter sequences longer than −793 bp were required for promoter activation by abscisic acid and sodium nitroprusside treatments. CaPIMP1 expression was activated in pepper leaves by treatment with ethylene, methyl jasmonate, abscisic acid, β-amino-n-butyric acid, NaCl, mechanical wounding, and low temperature, but not with salicylic acid. Overexpression of CaPIMP1 in Arabidopsis conferred hypersensitivity to mannitol, NaCl, and ABA during seed germination but not during seedling development. In contrast, transgenic plants overexpressing CaPIMP1 exhibited enhanced tolerance to oxidative stress induced by methyl viologen during germination and early seedling stages. These results suggest that CaPIMP1 expression may alter responsiveness to environmental stress, as well as to pathogen infection. The nucleotide sequence data reported here has been deposited in the GenBank database under the accession number DQ356279.     

A strong promoter, PMagpd, provides a tool for high gene expression in entomopathogenic fungus, Metarhizium acridum

A glyceraldehyde-3-phosphate dehydrogenase gene (gpd) promoter (PMagpd) was obtained from Metarhizium acridum and its active region analyzed by 5′-deletion strategy using β-glucuronidase (GUS) as a reporter. Sequence analysis revealed that typical regulatory elements of PMagpd were included in the 1.7 kb region upstream of the start codon of the Magpd gene. Deletion of the region from −1,691 bp to −1,463 bp, where the gpd box is harbored, did not significantly affect the PMagpd activity. Deletions of the regions upstream of −946 bp and upstream of −684 bp caused a major decrease of GUS activity. Compared with PgpdA (2.2 kb) in Aspergillus nidulans, PMagpd (1.4 kb) had a shorter sequence and significantly higher activity in M. acridum. This study provides an applicable promoter for over-expression of target genes in M. acridum.     

Authentic seed-specific activity of the <Emphasis Type="Italic">Perilla</Emphasis> oleosin 19 gene promoter in transgenic <Emphasis Type="Italic">Arabidopsis</Emphasis>

The Perilla (Perilla frutescens L. cv. Okdong) oleosin gene, PfOle19, produces a 19-kDa protein that is highly expressed only in seeds. The activity of the −2,015 bp 5′-upstream promoter region of this gene was investigated in transgenic Arabidopsis plants using the fusion reporter constructs of enhanced green fluorescent protein (EGFP) and β-glucuronidase (GUS). The PfOle19 promoter directs Egfp expression in developing siliques, but not in leaves, stems or roots. In the transgenic Arabidopsis, EGFP fluorescence and histochemical GUS staining were restricted to early seedlings, indehiscent siliques and mature seeds. Progressive 5′-deletions up to the −963 bp position of the PfOle19 promoter increases the spatial control of the gene expression in seeds, but reduces its quantitative levels of expression. Moreover, the activity of the PfOle19 promoter in mature seeds is 4- and 5-fold greater than that of the cauliflower mosaic virus 35S promoter in terms of both EGFP intensity and fluorometric GUS activity, respectively.     

Characterization of Upstream Sequences of the <Emphasis Type="Italic">LOJ</Emphasis> Gene Leads to Identification of a Novel Enhancer Element Conferring Lateral Organ Junction-Specific Expression in <Emphasis Type="Italic">Arabidopsis thaliana</Emphasis>

Isolation and characterization of promoters are important in understanding gene regulation and genetic engineering of crop plants. Earlier, a pentatricopeptide repeat protein (PPR) encoding gene (At2g39230), designated as Lateral Organ Junction (LOJ) gene, was identified through T-DNA promoter trapping in Arabidopsis thaliana. The upstream sequence of the LOJ gene conferred on the reporter gene a novel LOJ-specific expression. The present study was aimed at identifying and characterizing the cis-regulatory motifs responsible for tissue-specific expression in the −673 and +90 bases upstream of the LOJ gene recognized as LOJ promoter. In silico analysis of the LOJ promoter revealed the presence of a few relevant regulatory motifs and a unique feature like AT-rich inverted repeat. Deletion analysis of the LOJ promoter confirmed the presence of an enhancer-like element in the distal region (−673/−214), which stimulates a minimal promoter-like sequence in the −424/−214 region in a position and orientation autonomous manner. The −136/+90 region of the LOJ promoter was efficient in driving reporter gene expression in tissues like developing anthers and seeds of Arabidopsis. A positive regulation for the seed- and anther-specific expression module was contemplated within the 5′ untranslated region of the LOJ gene. However, this function was repressed in the native context by the lateral organ junction-specific expression. The present study has led to the identification of a novel lateral organ junction-specific element and an enhancer sequence in Arabidopsis with potential applications in plant genetic engineering.     

Isolation and functional analysis of the Catharanthus roseus deacetylvindoline-4-O-acetyltransferase gene promoter

Madagascar periwinkle (Catharanthus roseus) produces many therapeutically valuable terpenoid indole alkaloids (TIAs), such as vinblastine and vincristine derived from the monomers vindoline and catharanthine. Deacetylvindoline-4-O-acetyltransferase (DAT) is a key enzyme for the terminal step of vindoline biosynthesis. In this research, the DAT gene promoter was cloned, sequenced, and analyzed. An approximately 1,773 bp genomic DNA fragment of DAT promoter was obtained. Sequence analysis revealed that DAT promoter contained several potential regulatory elements which were involved in the regulation of gene expression. To investigate its function, the promoter fragments with 5′ deletions and gain-of-function deletions were fused to GUS reporter gene, and their expressions were analyzed by transient expression in C. roseus cell suspensions. The regulatory activity of DAT promoter was identified with fluorescence quantitative assays. Three TGACG motifs and one inverted motif (CGTCA) between −808 and −1,086 bp in the DAT promoter were found to be involved in methyljasmonate signal transduction pathway.     

Distinct repressing modules on the distal region of the <Emphasis Type="Italic">SBP2</Emphasis> promoter contribute to its vascular tissue-specific expression in different vegetative organs

The Glycine max sucrose binding protein (GmSBP2) promoter directs vascular tissue-specific expression of reporter genes in transgenic tobacco. Here we showed that an SBP2-GFP fusion protein under the control of the GmSBP2 promoter accumulates in the vascular tissues of vegetative organs, which is consistent with the proposed involvement of SBP in sucrose transport-dependent physiological processes. Through gain-of-function experiments we confirmed that the tissue-specific determinants of the SBP2 promoter reside in the distal cis-regulatory domain A, CRD-A (position −2000 to −700) that is organized into a modular configuration to suppress promoter activity in tissues other than vascular tissues. The four analyzed CRD-A sub-modules, designates Frag II (−1785/−1508), Frag III (−1507/−1237), Frag IV (−1236/−971) and Frag V (−970/−700), act independently to alter the constitutive pattern of −92pSBP2-mediated GUS expression in different organs. Frag V fused to −92pSBP2-GUS restored the tissue-specific pattern of the full-length promoter in the shoot apex, but not in other organs. Likewise, Frag IV confined GUS expression to the vascular bundle of leaves, whereas Frag II mediated vascular specific expression in roots. Strong stem expression-repressing elements were located at positions −1485 to −1212, as Frag III limited GUS expression to the inner phloem. We have also mapped a procambium silencer to the consensus sequence CAGTTnCaAccACATTcCT which is located in both distal and proximal upstream modules. Fusion of either repressing element-containing module to the constitutive −92pSBP2 promoter suppresses GUS expression in the elongation zone of roots. Together our results demonstrate the unusual aspect of distal sequences negatively controlling tissue-specificity of a plant promoter.