THE PLANT CELL, Vol 2, Issue 5 393-401, Copyright © 1990 by American Society of Plant Biologists

RESEARCH ARTICLES

Pollen- and Anther-Specific chi Promoters from Petunia: Tandem Promoter Regulation of the chiA Gene

A. J. van Tunen, L. A. Mur, G. S. Brouns, J. D. Rienstra, R. E. Koes and JNM. Mol
Department of Genetics, Vrije Universiteit, De Boelelaan 1087, 1081 HV Amsterdam, The Netherlands

We have analyzed the spatial and temporal activities of chalcone flavanone isomerase (chi) A and B gene promoters from petunia. To study the tandem promoter regulation of chiA, various chiA promoter fragments were fused with the [beta]-glucuronidase (GUS) reporter gene. Analysis of transgenic plants containing these chimeric genes provided definitive proof that the chiA coding region is regulated by two distinct promoters (designated PA1 and PA2). We also showed that both promoters can function independently and that the chiA PA1 promoter is expressed in limb (epidermal and parenchyma cells), tube (inner epidermal and parenchyma cells), seed (seed coat, endosperm, and embryo), sepal, leaf, and stem. The use of chiA and chiB promoters in the regulation of anther- and pollen-specific gene expression has been studied. By analyzing transgenic plants containing chimeric genes consisting of chiA and B promoter fragments and the GUS reporter gene, we were able to identify a 0.44-kilobase chiA PA2 promoter fragment that drives pollen-specific gene expression and a 1.75-kilobase chiB PB promoter fragment that confers anther-specific (pollen and tapetum cells) expression to the GUS gene.

This article has been cited by other articles:

				S. Kapoor, A. Kobayashi, and H. Takatsuji Silencing of the Tapetum-Specific Zinc Finger Gene TAZ1 Causes Premature Degeneration of Tapetum and Pollen Abortion in Petunia PLANT CELL, October 1, 2002; 14(10): 2353 - 2367. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				R. Immink, D. Hannapel, S Ferrario, M Busscher, J Franken, M. Lookeren Campagne, and G. Angenent A petunia MADS box gene involved in the transition from vegetative to reproductive development Development, January 11, 1999; 126(22): 5117 - 5126. [Abstract] [PDF]

				H. Li, G. Wu, D. Ware, K. R. Davis, and Z. Yang Arabidopsis Rho-Related GTPases: Differential Gene Expression in Pollen and Polar Localization in Fission Yeast Plant Physiology, October 1, 1998; 118(2): 407 - 417. [Abstract] [Full Text]

				P. Peyret, P. Perez, and M. Alric Structure, Genomic Organization, and Expression of the Arabidopsis thaliana Aconitase Gene J. Biol. Chem., April 7, 1995; 270(14): 8131 - 8137. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				D Twell, J Yamaguchi, R A Wing, J Ushiba, and S McCormick Promoter analysis of genes that are coordinately expressed during pollen development reveals pollen-specific enhancer sequences and shared regulatory elements. Genes & Dev., March 1, 1991; 5(3): 496 - 507. [Abstract] [PDF]