The pea END1 promoter drives anther-specific gene expression in different plant species.
END1 was isolated by an immunosubtractive approach intended to identify specific proteins present in the different pea (Pisum sativum L.) floral organs and the genes encoding them. Following this strategy we obtained a monoclonal antibody (mAbA1) that specifically recognized a 26-kDa protein (END1) only detected in anther tissues. Northern blot assays showed that END1 is expressed specifically in the anther. In situ hybridization and immunolocalization assays corroborated the specific expression of END1 in the epidermis, connective, endothecium and middle layer cells during the different stages of anther development. END1 is the first anther-specific gene isolated from pea. The absence of a practicable pea transformation method together with the fact that no END1 homologue gene exists in Arabidopsis prevented us from carrying out END1 functional studies. However, we designed functional studies with the END1 promoter in different dicot species, as the specific spatial and temporal expression pattern of END1 suggested, among other things, the possibility of using its promoter region for biotechnological applications. Using different constructs to drive the uidA (beta-glucuronidase) gene controlled by the 2.7-kb isolated promoter sequence we have proven that the END1 promoter is fully functional in the anthers of transgenic Arabidopsis thaliana (L.) Heynh., Nicotiana tabacum L. (tobacco) and Lycopersicon esculentum Mill. (tomato) plants. The presence in the -330-bp region of the promoter sequence of three putative CArG boxes also suggests that END1 could be a target gene of MADS-box proteins and that, subsequently, it would be activated by genes controlling floral organ identity.
Gómez
María D
MD
Instituto de Biología Molecular y Celular de Plantas (CSIC-UPV), Departamento de Biología del Desarrollo, Campus de la Universidad Politécnica de Valencia, Av. de los Naranjos s/n., 46022 Valencia, Spain.
Beltrán
José-Pío
JP
Cañas
Luis A
LA
D000595:Amino Acid Sequence; D017360:Arabidopsis / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D018076:DNA, Complementary / Q000032:analysis; D035264:Flowers / Q000235:genetics / Q000254:growth & development / Q000378:metabolism; D018507:Gene Expression Regulation, Developmental; D018506:Gene Expression Regulation, Plant; D017343:Genes, Plant; D018551:Solanum lycopersicum / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D018532:Pisum sativum / Q000235:genetics* / Q000254:growth & development / Q000378:metabolism; D010940:Plant Proteins / Q000096:biosynthesis / Q000235:genetics*; D030821:Plants, Genetically Modified; D011401:Promoter Regions, Genetic / Q000502:physiology*; D016415:Sequence Alignment; D017386:Sequence Homology, Amino Acid; D014026:Nicotiana / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism
D018076:DNA, Complementary; D010940:Plant Proteins