Control of gene expression in plant cells using a 434:VP16 chimeric protein

The herpes simplex virus type 1 VP16 polypeptide is a potent trans-activator of viral gene expression. We have tested the ability of the VP16 activation domain to activate gene expression in plant cells. A plasmid encoding a translational fusion between the full-length 434 repressor and the C-terminal 80 amino acids of VP16, was constructed. When expressed in Escherichia coli, the chimeric protein binds efficiently to 434-binding motifs (operators). For expression in plant cells, the chimeric activator gene was placed between the cauliflower mosaic virus (CaMV) 35S promoter and nos terminator sequences in a pUC-based plasmid. The 434 operators were placed upstream of a minimal CaMV 35S promoter linked to the E. coli gus reporter gene. This reporter-expression cassette was then incorporated into the same plasmid as the 434 cI/VP16 activator-expression cassette. Two control plasmids were also constructed, one encoding the 434 protein with no activator domain and the second a chimeric activator with no DNA-binding domain. The chimeric activator was tested for its ability to activate gene expression in a tobacco protoplast transient assay system. Results are presented to show that we can obtain in plant cells significant activation of gene expression that is dependent on both DNA-binding and the presence of the activator domain.     

酵母PHO2与PHO4蛋白的激活活性的分析及两者的相互作用

ＰＨＯ２与ＰＨＯ４是酵母ＰＨＯ５基因的两个正调控因子,本文发现,ＰＨＯ２与酵母转录因子ＧＡＬ４的ＤＮＡ结合功能域融合后就能激活报道基因ｌａｃＺ的表达,其激活力受高低磷影响,表明ＰＨＯ２蛋白上存在酸性转录激活区。ＰＨＯ２蛋白上酸性氨基酸丰富的２８７－３２６肽段并非ＰＨＯ２的激活区。在ＰＨＯ２蛋白上２３０位Ｓｅｒ处于磷酸化状态２ＰＨＯ２才有激活作用,表明了这一磷酸化位点可能与ＰＨＯ２的转录激活能力有关     

Nucleotide sequence of a gene from Arabidopsis thaliana encoding a myb homologue

A gene encoding a proto-oncogene, a myb-related gene named Atmyb1, was cloned from Arabidopsis thaliana, and its nucleotide sequence was determined. The Atmyb1 gene contains an intron of 494 bp, and there are no highly homologous sequences present in the A. thaliana genome, but evidence was found that other myb-related genes exist. In the 5 flanking region, we found several typical cis-acting elements found in plant promoters. Sequence comparisons revealed that the ATMYB1 protein has a putative DNA-binding domain with two repeats of tryptophan clusters, which is common in MYB-related proteins in plants, while animal MYB-related proteins contain DNA-binding domains with three repeats of tryptophan clusters. The putative DNA-binding domain of the ATMYB1 protein has higher homology with that of the human c-MYB protein than with those of other plant MYB proteins.