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Functional analysis of the regulatory region of a zein gene in transiently transformed protoplasts

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Abstract

The transcription of zein genes in maize is tissue-specific and developmentally regulated. The 5′ regulatory region of many zein genes contains two promoters, P1 and P2, lying approximately 1000 bases apart. The promoter/enhancer activity of various fragments of the two promoter regions of the zein gene E19 have been analysed by means of transient expression experiments. The results indicate that the various regions differentially affect the expression of the GUS reporter gene activity in protoplasts from tobacco leaves, maize immature endosperms and in vitro endosperm cell cultures. In tobacco protoplasts only the proximal promoter region, P2, activates GUS expression, while in endosperm culture cells only the distant promoter, P1, gives significant activity. The P1 region, both in direct and opposite orientation, stimulates a low level of GUS expression in protoplasts from immature endosperms.

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Author notes

  1. Giovanna Giovinazzo

    Present address: Istituto Biotecnologie Agroalimentari CNR, Lecce, Italy

  2. Michele W. Bianchi

    Present address: Biologie du Développement de Plantes, Université Paris Sud, F-91400, Orsay, France

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Istituto Biosintesi Vegetali CNR, Via Bassini 15, 20133, Milano, Italy

    Giovanna Giovinazzo, Lucia A. Manzocchi, Michele W. Bianchi, Immacolata Coraggio & Angelo Viotti

Authors
  1. Giovanna Giovinazzo
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  2. Lucia A. Manzocchi
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  3. Michele W. Bianchi
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  4. Immacolata Coraggio
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  5. Angelo Viotti
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Giovinazzo, G., Manzocchi, L.A., Bianchi, M.W. et al. Functional analysis of the regulatory region of a zein gene in transiently transformed protoplasts. Plant Mol Biol 19, 257–263 (1992). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00027347

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00027347

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