Summary
We have isolated a new maize gene, rab 28, that responds to abscisic acid (ABA) treatment. This gene has been characterized by determining the sequence of the cDNA and corresponding genomic copy, and by mapping the start site of its transcript. The rab 28 gene encodes a protein of predicted molecular weight 27713 Da which shows strong homology with the Lea D-34 protein identified in cotton. The proximal promoter region contains the conserved ABA-response element, CACGTGG, reported in other plant genes to be responsible for ABA induction. rab 28 mRNA has been identified as ABA-inducible in embryos and young leaves. It is also induced by water-stress in leaves of wild-type plants. Regulation of the rab 28 gene was studied in maize viviparous mutants. The results obtained with the ABA-insensitive vp1 mutant show that rab 28 transcripts do not accumulate to a significant level during embryogenesis. Surprisingly, induction of rab 28 mRNA can be achieved in young embryos by exogenous ABA treatment. Moreover, water-stressed or ABA-treated seedlings of vp1 contain significant levels of rab 28 mRNA which is not detectable in well-watered seedlings. Regulation of the rab 28 gene in excised young embryos of ABA-deficient vp2 mutants, in which influences of the maternal environment are absent, closely resembles that found in non-mutant excised young embryos. The significance of these results is discussed.
This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.
Similar content being viewed by others
References
Baker JC, Steele C, Dure L III (1988) Sequence and characterization of 6 Lea proteins and their genes from cotton. Plant Mol Biol 11:277–291
Bartels D, Schneider K, Terstappen G, Piatkowski D, Salamini F (1990) Molecular cloning of abscisic acid-modulated genes which are induced during desiccation of the resurection plant Craterostigma ptantagineum. Planta 181:27–34
Claes B, Dekeyser R, Villaroel R, Van den Bulcke M, Bauw G, Van Montagu M, Caplan A (1990) Characterization of a rice gene showing organ-specific expression in response to salt stress and drought. Plant Cell 2:19–27
Davies MJ, Mansfield TA (1983) The role of abscisic acid in drought avoidance. In: Addicot FT (ed) Abscisic Acid. Praeger, NY, pp 237–268
Dure L, Crouch M, Harada J, Ho THD, Mundy J, Quatrano RS, Thomas T, Sung ZR (1989) Common amino acid sequence domains among the LEA proteins of higher plants. Plant Mol Biol 12:475–486
Goday A, Sanchez-Martinez D, Gomez J, Puigdomenech P, Pages M (1988) Gene expression in developing Zea mays embryos: Regulation by abscisic acid of a highly phosphorylated 23 to 25 kd group of proteins. Plant Physiol 88:564–569
Gomez J, Sanchez-Martinez D, Steifel V, Rigau J, Puigdomenech P, Pages M (1988) A gene induced by the plant hormone abscisic acid in response to water stress encodes a glycine-rich protein. Nature 334:262–264
Guiltinan MJ, Marcotte WR, Quatrano RS (1990) A plant leucine zipper protein recognizes an abscisic acid response element. Science 250:267–270
Koornneef M (1986) Genetic aspects of abscisic acid. In: Blonstein AD, King PJ (eds) Genetic Approach to Plant Biochemistry. Springer Verlag, Vienna, pp 35–54
Kriz AR, Wallace MS, Paiva R (1990) Globulin gene expression in embryos of maize viviparous mutants. Plant Physiol 92:538–542
Marcotte WR, Bayley ChC, Quatrano RS (1988) Reuglation of a wheat promoter by abscisic acid in rice protoplasts. Nature 335:454–457
Marcotte WR, Russell SH, Quatrano RS (1989) Abscisic acid responsive sequences from the Em gene of wheat. Plant Cell 1:969–976
Maxam AM, Gilbert W (1980) Sequencing end-labeled DNA with base-specific chemical cleavages. Methods Enzymol 65:499–560
McCarthy DR, Carson CB, Stinard PS, Robertson DS (1989) Molecular analysis of viviparous-1: an abscisic acid-insensitive mutant of maize. Plant Cell 1:523–532
McCarthy DR, Hattori T, Vasil V, Vasil IK (1991) A regulatory hierarchy in seed development: Interaction of viviparous 1 and abscisic acid in regulation of the C1 gene in maize (abstract). J Cell Biochem 25:47
McDaniel S, Smith JD, Price HJ (1977) Response of viviparous mutants to abscisic acid in embryo culture. Maize Gener Coop Newslett 51:85–86
Mundy J, Chua NH (1988) Abscisic acid and water stress induce the expression of a novel rice gene. EMBO J 7:2279–2286
Mundy J, Yamaguchi-Shinozaki K, Chua NH (1990) Nuclear proteins bind conserved elements in the abscisic acid-responsive promoter of a rice RAB gene. Proc Natl Acad Sci USA 87:1406–1410
Neill SJ, Horgan R, Parry AD (1986) The carotenoid and abscisic acid content of viviparous kernels and seedlings of Zea mays L. Planta 169:87–96
Neill SJ, Horgan R, Rees AF (1987) Seed development and vivipary in Zea mays L. Planta 171:358–364
Paz-Arcs J, Wienand U, Peterson PA, Saedler PA (1986) Molecular cloning of the c1 locus of Zea mays: A locus regulating the anthocyanin pathway in maize. EMBO J 5:829–833
Pla M, Goday A, Vilardell J, Gomez J, Pages M (1989) Differential regulation of ABA-induced 23–25 kDa proteins in embryo and vegetative tissues of the viviparous mutants of maize. Plant Mol Biol 13:385–394
Quatrano RS (1986) Regulation of gene expression by abscisic acid during angiosperm embryo development. Oxford Surveys Plant Mol Cell Biol 3:467–477
Robertson DS (1955) The genetics of vivipary in maize. Genetics 40:745–760
Robichaud CS, Wong J, Sussex IM (1980) Control of in vitro growth of vivparous embryo mutants of maize by abscisic acid. Dev Genet 1:325–330
Saiki RK, Scharf S, Faloona F, Mullis KB, Horn GT, Erlich HA, Arnheim N (1985) Enzymatic amplification of globin genomic sequences and restriction site analysis for diagnosis of sickle cell anaemia. Science 230:1350–1354
Sanchez-Martinez D, Puigdomenech P, Pages M (1986) Regulation of gene expression in developing Zea mays embryos. Protein synthesis during embryogenesis and early germination of maize. Plant Physiol 82:543–549
Sanger F, Nicklen S, Coulsen AR (1977) DNA sequencing with chain-terminating inhibitors. Proc Nail Acad Sci USA 74:5463–5467
Skriver K, Mundy J (1990) Gene expression in response to abscisic acid and osmotic stress. Plant cell 2:503–512
Southern EM (1975) Detection of specific sequences among DNA fragments separated by gel electrophoresis. J Mol Biol 98:503–517
Vilardell J, Goday A, Freire MA, Torrent M, Martinez MC, Torne JM, Pages M (1990) Gene sequence, developmental expression, and protein phosphorylation of RAB-17 in maize. Plant Mol Biol 14:423–432
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Additional information
Communicated by H. Saedler
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Pla, M., Gómez, J., Goday, A. et al. Regulation of the abscisic acid-responsive gene rab28 in maize viviparous mutants. Molec. Gen. Genet. 230, 394–400 (1991). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00280296
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00280296