DGP1, a drought-induced guard cell-specific promoter and its function analysis in tobacco plants.
The genetic regulation of stomatal movement mainly depends on an efficient control system of gene expression, and guard cell-specific promoter is becoming the best choice. Here we combined the dehydration responsive element (DRE) with guard cell specific element (GCSE) to construct a novel promoter, DGP1. Histochemical assays in transgenic tobacco carrying beta, -glucuronidase (gus) gene fused to DGP1 demonstrated that GUS activity was found to be highly inducible by drought treatment and specifically restricted to guard cells. No GUS activity was detected in roots, stems or flowers after treatment. Further quantitative analysis showed that GUS activity in the epidermal strips was apparently induced by dehydration and dramatically increased with the elongation of treatment. The GUS activity after 8 h treatment was 179 times that of those without treatment. Although GUS activity in roots, stems or mesophyll increased after treatment, no great changes were observed. These results suggested that DGP1 could drive target gene expressed in guard cells when plant is subjected to drought stress. And this gets us prepared to control opening and closing of stomata through plant gene engineering.
Li
Jun
J
State Key Laboratory of Plant Physiology and Biochemistry, China Agricultural University, Beijing 100094, China.
Gong
Ximing
X
Lin
Huiqiong
H
Song
Quanbo
Q
Chen
Jia
J
Wang
Xuechen
X
D004190:Disasters; D018506:Gene Expression Regulation, Plant; D017343:Genes, Plant; D005966:Glucuronidase / Q000032:analysis / Q000235:genetics; D006651:Histocytochemistry; D018515:Plant Leaves / Q000166:cytology* / Q000378:metabolism; D030821:Plants, Genetically Modified; D011401:Promoter Regions, Genetic; D013997:Time Factors; D014026:Nicotiana / Q000235:genetics*
D005966:Glucuronidase