title: Cultivar-specific gene modulation in Vitis vinifera: analysis of the promoters regulating the expression of WOX transcription factors.
abstract: The family of Wuschel-related Homeobox (WOX) genes is a class of transcription factors involved in the early stages of embryogenesis and organ development in plants. Some of these genes have shown different transcription levels in embryogenic tissues and mature organs in two different cultivars of Vitis vinifera: 'Chardonnay' (CH) and 'Cabernet Sauvignon' (CS). Therefore, we investigated the genetic basis responsible for these differences by cloning and sequencing in both the cultivars the promoter regions (~2000 bp) proximal to the transcription start site of five VvWOX genes. We then introduced these promoters into Arabidopsis thaliana for expression pattern characterisation using the GUS reporter gene. In the transgenic Arabidopsis, two promoters isolated from CS (pVvWOX13C_CS and pVvWOX6_CS) induced increased expression compared to the sequence isolated in CH, confirming the data obtained in grapevine tissues. These results were corroborated by transient expression assays using the agroinfiltration approach in grapevine somatic embryos. Truncated versions of pVvWOX13C demonstrated that few nucleotide differences between the sequences isolated from CH and CS are pivotal for the transcriptional regulation of VvWOX13C. Analysis of promoters using heterologous and homologous systems appear to be effective for exploring gene modulation linked with intervarietal sequence variation in grapevine.
authors.affiliation: Institute for Sustainable Plant Protection, National Research Council (IPSP-CNR), Torino. Strada delle Cacce 73, 10135 Torino, Italy.
authors.forename: Paolo
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Boccacci
authors.affiliation: Institute for Sustainable Plant Protection, National Research Council (IPSP-CNR), Grugliasco Unit. Largo P. Braccini 2, 10095 Grugliasco-TO, Italy.
authors.forename: Anita
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Mela
authors.affiliation: Institute for Sustainable Plant Protection, National Research Council (IPSP-CNR), Grugliasco Unit. Largo P. Braccini 2, 10095 Grugliasco-TO, Italy.
authors.forename: Catalina
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Pavez Mina
authors.affiliation: Institute for Sustainable Plant Protection, National Research Council (IPSP-CNR), Torino. Strada delle Cacce 73, 10135 Torino, Italy.
authors.forename: Walter
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Chitarra
authors.affiliation: Institute for Sustainable Plant Protection, National Research Council (IPSP-CNR), Torino. Strada delle Cacce 73, 10135 Torino, Italy.
authors.forename: Irene
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Perrone
authors.affiliation: Institute for Sustainable Plant Protection, National Research Council (IPSP-CNR), Grugliasco Unit. Largo P. Braccini 2, 10095 Grugliasco-TO, Italy.
authors.forename: Ivana
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Gribaudo
authors.affiliation: Institute for Sustainable Plant Protection, National Research Council (IPSP-CNR), Torino. Strada delle Cacce 73, 10135 Torino, Italy.
authors.forename: Giorgio
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Gambino
mesh_terms: D017360:Arabidopsis / Q000235:genetics; D018507:Gene Expression Regulation, Developmental; D018506:Gene Expression Regulation, Plant; D018398:Homeodomain Proteins / Q000235:genetics*; D010940:Plant Proteins / Q000235:genetics; D011401:Promoter Regions, Genetic; D014157:Transcription Factors / Q000235:genetics*; D027843:Vitis / Q000196:embryology / Q000235:genetics*
chemical_list: D018398:Homeodomain Proteins; D010940:Plant Proteins; D014157:Transcription Factors