title: The promoter for tomato 3-hydroxy-3-methylglutaryl coenzyme A reductase gene 2 has unusual regulatory elements that direct high-level expression.
abstract: The promoter region of tomato (Lycopersicon esculentum) 3-hydroxy-3-methylglutaryl coenzyme A reductase gene 2 (HMG2) has been analyzed using the transient expression of HMG2-luciferase fusions in red fruit pericarp. The mRNA for HMG2 accumulates to high level during fruit ripening, in a pattern that coincides with the synthesis of the carotenoid lycopene. Unlike most promoters, the region that is upstream of the HMG2 TATA element is not required for high-level expression. The 180-bp region containing the TATA element, the 5' untranslated region, and the translation start site are comparable in strength of the full-length 35S cauliflower mosaic virus promoter. Pyrimidine-rich sequences present in the 5' untranslated leader are important in regulating expression. Also, the ATG start region has been found to increase translation efficiency by a factor of 4 to 10. An alternative hairpin secondary structure has been identified surrounding the HMG2 initiator ATG, which could participate in the translational regulation of this locus. HMG2 appears to be a novel class of strong plant promoters that incorporate unusual, positive regulators of gene expression.
authors.affiliation: University of Illinois at Chicago, Laboratory for Molecular Biology 60607, USA.
authors.forename: N D
authors.initials: ND
authors.lastname: Daraselia
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Tarchevskaya
authors.forename: J O
authors.initials: JO
authors.lastname: Narita
mesh_terms: D000595:Amino Acid Sequence; D001483:Base Sequence; D002338:Carotenoids / Q000096:biosynthesis; D018387:Codon, Initiator; D017124:Conserved Sequence; D018506:Gene Expression Regulation, Plant; D017343:Genes, Plant; D017930:Genes, Reporter; D006903:Hydroxymethylglutaryl CoA Reductases / Q000096:biosynthesis / Q000235:genetics*; D025782:Hydroxymethylglutaryl-CoA-Reductases, NADP-dependent; D007527:Isoenzymes / Q000096:biosynthesis / Q000235:genetics; D000077276:Lycopene; D018551:Solanum lycopersicum / Q000201:enzymology / Q000235:genetics* / Q000254:growth & development; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D009690:Nucleic Acid Conformation; D011401:Promoter Regions, Genetic; D014176:Protein Biosynthesis; D012333:RNA, Messenger / Q000032:analysis; D018749:RNA, Plant / Q000032:analysis; D017386:Sequence Homology, Amino Acid; D014158:Transcription, Genetic
chemical_list: D018387:Codon, Initiator; D007527:Isoenzymes; D012333:RNA, Messenger; D018749:RNA, Plant; D002338:Carotenoids; D006903:Hydroxymethylglutaryl CoA Reductases; D025782:Hydroxymethylglutaryl-CoA-Reductases, NADP-dependent; D000077276:Lycopene