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Structure and regulation of the maize Bronze2 promoter

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Abstract

The maize Bronze2 (Bz2) gene encodes a glutathione S-transferase that is required for anthocyanin pigment accumulation. Two classes of regulatory proteins, R and C1, are required for transcriptional activation of Bz2 and several additional structural genes. Functional domains of the Bz2 promoter were identified using Bz2 promoterdriven luciferase reporter genes electroporated into maize protoplasts together with R and C1 expression plasmids. Complete regulation was conferred by 224 nt of the Bz2 promoter. Within this region at least two separable regions are independently capable of conferring regulation by R and C1. Predicted regulatory elements corresponding to two classes of sequence motifs, the Myb-box homologous ‘C1-motif’, TAACTG/CAGTTA, and the G-box and E-box homologous ‘R-motif’, CACGTG, were shown to be important for full R and C1 activation of the Bz2 promoter. Expression of reconstructed Bz2 genes with mutated promoters was quantified using RNase protection, and this analysis confirmed results obtained using reporter genes.

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  1. John P. Bodeau

    Present address: Center for Engineering Plants for Resistance Against Pathogens, University of California, 1930 5th St., 95616, Davis, CA, USA

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Biological Sciences, Stanford University, 94305, Stanford, CA, USA

    John P. Bodeau & Virginia Walbot

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  1. John P. Bodeau
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  2. Virginia Walbot
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Bodeau, J.P., Walbot, V. Structure and regulation of the maize Bronze2 promoter. Plant Mol Biol 32, 599–609 (1996). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00020201

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00020201

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