title: Identification of a plastid response element that acts as an enhancer within the Chlamydomonas HSP70A promoter.
abstract: Chloroplast-derived signals control a subset of nuclear genes in higher plants and eukaryotic algae. Among the types of signals identified are intermediates of chlorophyll biosynthesis such as Mg-protoporphyrin IX (MgProto). In Chlamydomonas reinhardtii, it was suggested that this tetrapyrrole mediates the light induction of chaperone gene HSP70A. Here we have analyzed cis elements involved in the regulation of HSP70A by MgProto and light. We identified two promoters and between their transcription start sites two regulatory regions that each may confer inducibility by MgProto and light to both HSP70A promoters. These regulatory regions, when cloned in front of basal non-light inducible heterologous promoters, conferred inducibility by MgProto and light. The orientation and distance independent function of these cis-regulatory sequences qualifies them as enhancers that mediate the response of nuclear genes to a chloroplast signal. Mutational analysis of one of these regulatory regions and an alignment with promoters of other MgProto-inducible genes revealed the sequence motif (G/C)CGA(C/T)N(A/G)N15 (T/C/A)(A/T/G) which, as shown for HSP70A, may confer MgProto responsiveness. This cis-acting sequence element is employed for induction of HSP70A by both MgProto and light, lending support to the model that light induction of this gene is mediated via MgProto.
authors.affiliation: Institut für Biologie III, Lehrstuhl Biochemie der Pflanzen, Universität Freiburg, Schaenzlestrasse 1 D-79104, Freiburg, Germany.
authors.forename: Erika D
authors.initials: ED
authors.lastname: von Gromoff
authors.forename: Michael
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Schroda
authors.forename: Ulrike
authors.initials: U
authors.lastname: Oster
authors.forename: Christoph F
authors.initials: CF
authors.lastname: Beck
mesh_terms: D020418:Algal Proteins / Q000235:genetics*; D000818:Animals; D016825:Chlamydomonas reinhardtii / Q000235:genetics* / Q000378:metabolism; D004742:Enhancer Elements, Genetic; D018840:HSP70 Heat-Shock Proteins / Q000235:genetics*; D008027:Light; D018087:Plastids / Q000235:genetics; D011401:Promoter Regions, Genetic; D011524:Protoporphyrins / Q000378:metabolism; D020218:Response Elements; D024363:Transcription Initiation Site; D015533:Transcriptional Activation
chemical_list: D020418:Algal Proteins; D018840:HSP70 Heat-Shock Proteins; D011524:Protoporphyrins; C039629:magnesium protoporphyrin