THE PLANT CELL, Vol 1, Issue 6 623-631, Copyright © 1989 by American Society of Plant Biologists
Nuclear Factors Interact with a Soybean [beta]-Conglycinin Enhancer
R. D. Allen, F. Bernier, P. A. Lessard and R. N. Beachy
Department of Biology, Washington University, Saint Louis, Missouri 63130
Upstream sequences of the gene encoding the [alpha][prime] subunit of
[beta]-conglycinin were analyzed for interactions with nuclear proteins
from immature soybean seeds. Two factors were identified that interact with
specific sequence elements within 257 base pairs 5[prime] of the
transcription start site. One factor, SEF 3, binds exclusively to a region
composed of two elements located at -183 to -169 base pairs and -153 to
-134 base pairs relative to the start of transcription. Each of these sites
includes the hexanucleotide sequence AACCCA, which may serve as a primary
recognition sequence. During seed development, SEF 3 binding activity was
found to increase in soybean embryos during the time of [beta]-conglycinin
synthesis and to decrease as seeds neared maturity. The position of the SEF
3 binding sequence corresponds with a previously reported seed-specific
enhancer region, and it seems likely that this factor may act as a positive
regulator of transcription of the [beta]-conglycinin, [alpha][prime]
subunit gene in developing soybean seeds. The second factor, SEF 4, also
binds within the -257 to -77 region but also interacts with sites located
further upstream.
