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Molecular cloning and characterization of the light-regulation and circadian-rhythm of the VDE gene promoter from Zingiber officinale

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Abstract

Ginger (Zingiber officinale Rosc.) is prone to photoinhibition under intense sunlight. Excessive light can be dissipated by the xanthophyll cycle, where violaxanthin de-epoxidase (VDE) plays a critical role in protecting the photosynthesis apparatus from the damage of excessive light. We isolated ~2.0 kb of ginger VDE (GVDE) gene promoter, which contained the circadian box, I-box, G-box and GT-1 motif. Histochemical staining of Arabidopsis indicated the GVDE promoter was active in almost all organs, especially green tissues. β-glucuronidase (GUS) activity driven by GVDE promoter was repressed rather than activated by high light. GUS activity was altered by hormones, growth regulators and abiotic stresses, which increased with 2,4-dichlorophenoxyacetic acid and decreased with abscisic acid, salicylic acid, zeatin, salt (sodium chloride) and polyethylene glycol. Interestingly, GUS activities with gibberellin or indole-3-acetic acid increased in the short-term (24 h) and decreased in the long-term (48 and 72 h). Analysis of 5′ flank deletion found two crucial functional regions residing in −679 to −833 and −63 to −210. Northern blotting analysis found transcription to be regulated by the endogenous circadian clock. Finally, we found a region necessary for regulating the circadian rhythm and another for the basic promoter activity.

Key message A novel promoter, named GVDE promoter, was first isolated and analyzed in this study. We have determined one region crucial for promoter activity and another responsible for keeping circadian rhythms.

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Abbreviations

2,4-D:

2,4-Dichlorophenoxyacetic acid

4-MU:

4-Methylumbelliferone

ABA:

Abscisic acid

ASR:

ABA-, stress- and ripening-induced protein

GA:

Gibberellin

GUS:

β-Glucuronidase

IAA:

Indole-3-acetic acid

LD:

Light/dark cycle

LL:

Light/light cycle

MUG:

4-Methylumbelliferyl-β-d-glucuronide

NaCl:

Sodium chloride

PEG:

Polyethylene glycol

SA:

Salicylic acid

VDE:

Violaxanthin de-epoxidase

ZEA:

Zeatin

ZT:

Zeitgeber time

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Acknowledgments

We give special thanks to Prof. Jun-ping Gao (China Agricultural University) for providing the vector PBI 121. We are grateful to Zheng Tong (China Agricultural University) for aiding us with experimental protocols. Funding was provided by the Natural Science Foundation of China (30771465).

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. College of Agronomy and Biotechnology, China Agricultural University, Yuanmingyuan Xilu 2#, HaiDian District, Beijing, 100193, China

    Wenchao Zhao, Xin Li, Hongyu Huang, Xiaolei Sui & Zhenxian Zhang

  2. Plant Science and Technology College, Beijing University of Agriculture, Beinonglu 7# Huilongguan Zhen, Changping District, Beijing, 102200, China

    Shaohui Wang

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  1. Wenchao Zhao
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  2. Shaohui Wang
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  3. Xin Li
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  4. Hongyu Huang
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  5. Xiaolei Sui
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  6. Zhenxian Zhang
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Corresponding author

Correspondence to Zhenxian Zhang.

Additional information

Communicated by R. Rose.

W. Zhao, S. Wang and X. Li contributed equally to this work.

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Zhao, W., Wang, S., Li, X. et al. Molecular cloning and characterization of the light-regulation and circadian-rhythm of the VDE gene promoter from Zingiber officinale . Plant Cell Rep 31, 1381–1392 (2012). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00299-012-1254-8

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00299-012-1254-8

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