Get 20M+ Full-Text Papers For Less Than $1.50/day. Start a 7-Day Trial for You or Your Team.

Learn More →

Introns are key regulatory elements of rice tubulin expression

Introns are key regulatory elements of rice tubulin expression The genomic clones containing elements that regulate transcription of the three known rice (Oryza sativa L.) alpha-tubulin isotypes (Ostua1, Ostua2 and Ostua3) have been isolated. We have used these genomic regions to identify the regulatory elements that contribute to the expression of a marker gene (gusA) in transient assays performed on rice calli derived from mature embryos. In all cases, we found that the first intron was required to achieve high levels of expression. This is consistent with data already reported for the α-tubulin isotype1 and indicates that a common regulatory mechanism is active on all the members of the rice α-tubulin gene family. The enhancing effect of the first intron was then tested by constructing illegitimate combinations of α-tubulin promoter and intron sequences (Ostua1pro–Ostua2intro; Ostua1pro–Ostua3intro; Ostua2pro–Ostua3intro; Ostua3pro–Ostua2intro) and then by assaying β-glucuronidase (GUS) activity in transformed rice calli. All illegitimate combinations expressed GUS at high level, suggesting that rice α-tubulin promoters and introns can be exchanged among the different isotypes. This did not occur when the intron of the rice β-tubulin isotype16, known to enhance transcription of its own gene, was used in place of the α-tubulin intron. We have also analysed the effect of abscisic acid (ABA) on GUS expression in rice calli transformed with chimeric tubα2pro-intro::gusA and tubα3pro-intro::gusA constructs. ABA was able to reduce GUS expression only in the presence of the tubα2pro-intro sequence. We discuss these data in terms of mechanisms that in rice, as opposed to other plants, may control tubulin isotype-specific expression and the involvement of ABA in the regulation of α-tubulin expression. http://www.deepdyve.com/assets/images/DeepDyve-Logo-lg.png Planta Springer Journals

Introns are key regulatory elements of rice tubulin expression

Fiume, Elisa; Christou, Paul; Gianì, Silvia; Breviario, Diego
Planta , Volume 218 (5) – Nov 19, 2003
Download PDF
11 pages

Loading next page...
 
/lp/springer-journals/introns-are-key-regulatory-elements-of-rice-tubulin-expression-039eraYoLJ

References (44)

Publisher
Springer Journals
Copyright
Copyright © 2004 by Springer-Verlag
Subject
LifeSciences
ISSN
0032-0935
eISSN
1432-2048
DOI
10.1007/s00425-003-1150-0
pmid
14625773
Publisher site
See Article on Publisher Site

Abstract

The genomic clones containing elements that regulate transcription of the three known rice (Oryza sativa L.) alpha-tubulin isotypes (Ostua1, Ostua2 and Ostua3) have been isolated. We have used these genomic regions to identify the regulatory elements that contribute to the expression of a marker gene (gusA) in transient assays performed on rice calli derived from mature embryos. In all cases, we found that the first intron was required to achieve high levels of expression. This is consistent with data already reported for the α-tubulin isotype1 and indicates that a common regulatory mechanism is active on all the members of the rice α-tubulin gene family. The enhancing effect of the first intron was then tested by constructing illegitimate combinations of α-tubulin promoter and intron sequences (Ostua1pro–Ostua2intro; Ostua1pro–Ostua3intro; Ostua2pro–Ostua3intro; Ostua3pro–Ostua2intro) and then by assaying β-glucuronidase (GUS) activity in transformed rice calli. All illegitimate combinations expressed GUS at high level, suggesting that rice α-tubulin promoters and introns can be exchanged among the different isotypes. This did not occur when the intron of the rice β-tubulin isotype16, known to enhance transcription of its own gene, was used in place of the α-tubulin intron. We have also analysed the effect of abscisic acid (ABA) on GUS expression in rice calli transformed with chimeric tubα2pro-intro::gusA and tubα3pro-intro::gusA constructs. ABA was able to reduce GUS expression only in the presence of the tubα2pro-intro sequence. We discuss these data in terms of mechanisms that in rice, as opposed to other plants, may control tubulin isotype-specific expression and the involvement of ABA in the regulation of α-tubulin expression.

Journal

Planta – Springer Journals

Published: Nov 19, 2003

There are no references for this article.