RF2a, a bZIP transcriptional activator of the phloem-specific rice tungro bacilliform virus promoter, functions in vascular development.
Rice tungro bacilliform virus (RTBV) replicates only in phloem cells in infected rice plants and its promoter drives strong phloem-specific reporter gene expression in transgenic rice plants. We isolated a cDNA encoding a basic leucine zipper (bZIP) protein, RF2a, which binds to the Box II cis element that is important for expression from the promoter. RF2a, which stimulates Box II-dependent transcription in a homologous in vitro transcription system, accumulates in nuclei of phloem and certain other cell types in shoots, but is found at only very low levels in roots. Transgenic antisense plants in which RF2a accumulation was suppressed had normal roots but stunted, twisted leaves with small, disorganized vascular bundles, an enlarged sclerenchyma and large air spaces. We propose that the RTBV promoter exploits a host transcription factor that is critical for leaf tissue differentiation and vascular development for its expression.
Yin
Y
Y
Division of Plant Biology, The Scripps Research Institute, BCC206, 10550 North Torrey Pines Road, La Jolla, CA 92037, USA.
Zhu
Q
Q
Dai
S
S
Lamb
C
C
Beachy
R N
RN
D000595:Amino Acid Sequence; D019195:Badnavirus / Q000235:genetics*; D050976:Basic-Leucine Zipper Transcription Factors; D002451:Cell Compartmentation; D003001:Cloning, Molecular; D004279:DNA, Viral / Q000378:metabolism; D015967:Gene Expression Regulation, Viral; D016350:Leucine Zippers; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D009687:Nuclear Proteins / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D012275:Oryza / Q000166:cytology / Q000254:growth & development / Q000821:virology; D010940:Plant Proteins / Q000235:genetics* / Q000378:metabolism; D018520:Plant Shoots / Q000166:cytology / Q000821:virology; D011401:Promoter Regions, Genetic; D011485:Protein Binding; D017422:Sequence Analysis, DNA; D017386:Sequence Homology, Amino Acid; D014018:Tissue Distribution; D015534:Trans-Activators / Q000235:genetics* / Q000302:isolation & purification / Q000378:metabolism; D014158:Transcription, Genetic
D050976:Basic-Leucine Zipper Transcription Factors; D004279:DNA, Viral; D009687:Nuclear Proteins; D010940:Plant Proteins; D015534:Trans-Activators