Isolation and comparative analysis of the wheat TaPT2 promoter: identification in silico of new putative regulatory motifs conserved between monocots and dicots

J Exp Bot. 2007;58(10):2573-82. doi: 10.1093/jxb/erm123. Epub 2007 Jun 11.

Abstract

Phosphorus deficiency is one of the major nutrient stresses affecting plant growth. Plants respond to phosphate (Pi) deficiency through multiple strategies, including the synthesis of high-affinity Pi transporters. In this study, the expression pattern of one putative wheat high-affinity phosphate transporter, TaPT2, was examined in roots and leaves under Pi-deficient conditions. TaPT2 transcript levels increased in roots of Pi-starved plants. A 579 bp fragment of the TaPT2 promoter is sufficient to drive the expression of the GUS reporter gene specifically in roots of Pi-deprived wheat. This TaPT2 promoter fragment was also able to drive expression of the GUS reporter gene in transgenic Arabidopsis thaliana, under similar growth conditions. Conserved regions and candidate regulatory motifs were detected by comparing this promoter with Pi transporter promoters from barley, rice, and Arabidopsis. Altogether, these results indicate that there are conserved cis-acting elements and trans-acting factors that enable the TaPT2 promoter to be regulated in a tissue-specific and Pi-dependent fashion in both monocots and dicots.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Arabidopsis / genetics
  • Base Sequence
  • Computational Biology
  • Conserved Sequence
  • Gene Expression Regulation, Plant
  • Glucuronidase / analysis
  • Molecular Sequence Data
  • Phosphate Transport Proteins / chemistry
  • Phosphate Transport Proteins / genetics*
  • Phosphates / metabolism
  • Plant Proteins / chemistry
  • Plant Proteins / genetics*
  • Plant Roots / genetics
  • Plant Roots / metabolism
  • Plants, Genetically Modified / metabolism
  • Promoter Regions, Genetic*
  • Sequence Alignment
  • Sequence Analysis, DNA
  • Sequence Analysis, Protein
  • Triticum / genetics*

Substances

  • Phosphate Transport Proteins
  • Phosphates
  • Plant Proteins
  • Glucuronidase