THE PLANT CELL, Vol 1, Issue 7 665-670, Copyright © 1989 by American Society of Plant Biologists
Promoters of the rolA, B, and C Genes of Agrobacterium rhizogenes Are Differentially Regulated in Transgenic Plants
T. Schmulling, J. Schell and A. Spena
Max-Planck-Institut fur Zuchtungsforschung, D-5000 Koln 30, Federal Republic of Germany
Chimeric genes containing the [beta]-glucuronidase reporter gene under the
control of the rolA, B, and C promoters of Agrobacterium rhizogenes are
expressed in a regulated manner in transgenic plants. The intergenic region
separating the rolB and C genes represents a bidirectional promoter. This
bidirectional promoter regulates transcription for both genes in a similar
fashion in aerial organs of the plants, but in a distinct way in roots.
Moreover, both rolB and C promoter activities differ from those
characteristic of the rolA promoter. Thus, promoters of bacterial origin
show differential expression in transgenic plants, and regulation of rol
gene expression plays a role in the biological effects caused by the rolA,
B, and C genes.