This Article Full Text (PDF) Alert me when this article is cited Alert me if a correction is posted Services Similar articles in this journal Similar articles in PubMed Alert me to new issues of the journal Download to citation manager Copyright Information Books from ASM Press MicrobeWorld Citing Articles Citing Articles via HighWire Citing Articles via Google Scholar Google Scholar Articles by Conley, T R Articles by Shih, M C Search for Related Content PubMed PubMed Citation Articles by Conley, T R Articles by Shih, M C

Characterization of cis-acting elements in light regulation of the nuclear gene encoding the A subunit of chloroplast isozymes of glyceraldehyde-3-phosphate dehydrogenase from Arabidopsis thaliana.

Department of Biological Sciences, University of Iowa, Iowa City 52242.

ABSTRACT

We have characterized cis-acting elements involved in light regulation of the nuclear gene (GapA) encoding the A subunit of chloroplast glyceraldehyde-3-phosphate dehydrogenase (GAPDH) in Arabidopsis thaliana. Our results show that a 1.1-kb promoter fragment of the GapA gene is sufficient to confer light inducibility and organ specificity in transgenic Nicotiana tabacum (tobacco) plants, using the beta-glucuronidase gene of Escherichia coli as the reporter gene. Deletion analysis indicates that the -359 to -110 bp region of the GapA gene is necessary for light responsiveness. Within this region there are three copies of a decamer repeat (termed the Gap box) having the consensus sequence 5'-CAAATGAA(A/G)A-3', which has not been characterized in the promoter regions of other light-regulated genes. A deletion (to -247) producing loss of one copy of these elements from the GapA promoter reduces light induction by two- to threefold compared with a promoter deletion (to -359) with all three Gap boxes present, while deletion of all three Gap boxes (to -110) abolishes light induction completely. Gel mobility shift experiments using tobacco nuclei as the source of nuclear proteins show that GapA promoter fragments that contain these repeats bind strongly to a factor in the nuclear extract and that binding can be abolished by synthetic competitors consisting only of a monomer or dimer of the Gap box. Furthermore, a trimer, dimer, and monomer of the Gap box show binding activity and, like the authentic GapA promoter-derived probes, show binding activities that are correlated with Gap box copy number. These results strongly suggest that these repeats play important roles in light regulation of the GapA gene of A. thaliana.

This article has been cited by other articles:

• Desai, M., Hu, J. (2008). Light Induces Peroxisome Proliferation in Arabidopsis Seedlings through the Photoreceptor Phytochrome A, the Transcription Factor HY5 HOMOLOG, and the Peroxisomal Protein PEROXIN11b. Plant Physiol. 146: 1117-1127 [Abstract] [Full Text]  
• Thomas-Hall, S., Campbell, P. R., Carlens, K., Kawanishi, E., Swennen, R., Sagi, L., Schenk, P. M. (2007). Phylogenetic and molecular analysis of the ribulose-1,5-bisphosphate carboxylase small subunit gene family in banana. J Exp Bot 0: erm129v3- [Abstract] [Full Text]  
• Chan, C. S., Peng, H.-P., Shih, M.-C. (2002). Mutations Affecting Light Regulation of Nuclear Genes Encoding Chloroplast Glyceraldehyde-3-Phosphate Dehydrogenase in Arabidopsis. Plant Physiol. 130: 1476-1486 [Abstract] [Full Text]