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Functional characterization of the pollen-specific SBgLR promoter from potato (Solanum tuberosum L.)

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Abstract

SBgLR (Solanum tuberosum genomic lysine-rich) gene was isolated from a potato genomic library using SB401 (S. berthaultii 401) cDNA as probe. RT-PCR analysis of SBgLR gene expression profile and microscopic analysis of green fluorescent protein (GFP) expression in tobacco plants transformed with SBgLR promoter-GFP reporters indicate that SBgLR is a pollen-specific gene. A series of 5′deletions of SBgLR promoter were fused to the β-glucuronidase (GUS) gene and stably introduced into tobacco plants. Histochemical and quantitative assays of GUS expression in transgenic plants allowed us to localize an enhancer of SBgLR promoter to the region −345 to −269 relative to the translation start site. This 76 bp (−345 to −269) fragment enhanced GUS expression in leaves, stems and roots when fused to −90/+6 CaMV 35S minimal promoter. Deletion analysis showed that a cis-element, which can repress gene expression in root hairs, was located in the region −345 to −311. Further study indicated that the −269 to −9 region was sufficient to confer pollen-specific expression of GFP when fused to CaMV 35S enhancer.

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Acknowledgments

We thank Dr. Chengxia Li (University of California, Davis) for critical comments on the manuscript. This work was supported by the National Special Foundation for Research and Industrialization of Transgenic Plants of China (JY03-A-14-01).

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Correspondence to Qian Zhao.

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Authors Zhihong Lang and Peng Zhou contributed equally to this work.

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Fig7

Supplemental 1. In situ localization of GUS activity in tobacco transformed with fused promoter. GUS activity in transgenic tobacco was observed in pollen (a), but not in stems (b) and the whole yang plant (c). GUS activity in transgenic tobacco seedling harboring CaMV35S promoter is showed as a control (d). 183 × 153mm (72 × 72 DPI)

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Lang, Z., Zhou, P., Yu, J. et al. Functional characterization of the pollen-specific SBgLR promoter from potato (Solanum tuberosum L.). Planta 227, 387–396 (2008). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00425-007-0625-9

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