Differential regulation of an auxin-producing nitrilase gene family in Arabidopsis thaliana.
Nitrilases (nitrile aminohydrolase, EC 3.5.5.1) convert nitriles to carboxylic acids. We report the cloning, characterization, and expression patterns of four Arabidopsis thaliana nitrilase genes (NIT1-4), one of which was previously described [Bartling, D., Seedorf, M., Mithöfer, A. & Weiler, E. W. (1992) Eur. J. Biochem. 205, 417-424]. The nitrilase genes encode very similar proteins that hydrolyze indole-3-acetonitrile to the phytohormone indole-3-acetic acid in vitro, and three of the four genes are tandemly arranged on chromosome III. Northern analysis using gene-specific probes and analysis of transgenic plants containing promoter-reporter gene fusions indicate that the four genes are differentially regulated. NIT2 expression is specifically induced around lesions caused by bacterial pathogen infiltration. The sites of nitrilase expression may represent sites of auxin biosynthesis in A. thaliana.
Bartel
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Whitehead Institute for Biomedical Research, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge 02142.
Fink
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D000595:Amino Acid Sequence; D000619:Aminohydrolases / Q000096:biosynthesis* / Q000235:genetics*; D017360:Arabidopsis / Q000201:enzymology* / Q000235:genetics* / Q000254:growth & development; D001483:Base Sequence; D002874:Chromosome Mapping; D003001:Cloning, Molecular; D017931:DNA Primers; D004926:Escherichia coli; D015971:Gene Expression Regulation, Enzymologic; D017343:Genes, Plant; D005966:Glucuronidase / Q000096:biosynthesis; D007210:Indoleacetic Acids / Q000096:biosynthesis*; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D005810:Multigene Family; D016366:Open Reading Frames; D016133:Polymerase Chain Reaction; D011401:Promoter Regions, Genetic; D011993:Recombinant Fusion Proteins / Q000096:biosynthesis; D011994:Recombinant Proteins / Q000096:biosynthesis; D015183:Restriction Mapping; D017386:Sequence Homology, Amino Acid
D017931:DNA Primers; D007210:Indoleacetic Acids; D011993:Recombinant Fusion Proteins; D011994:Recombinant Proteins; D005966:Glucuronidase; D000619:Aminohydrolases; C021867:nitrilase