We found a match
Your institution may have access to this item. Find your institution then sign in to continue.
- Title
Brachypodium distachyon promoters as efficient building blocks for transgenic research in maize.
- Authors
Coussens, Griet; Aesaert, Stijn; Verelst, Wim; Demeulenaere, Marlies; De Buck, Sylvie; Njuguna, Elizabeth; Inzé, Dirk; Van Lijsebettens, Mieke
- Abstract
The biotechnological approach to improve performance or yield of crops or for engineering metabolic pathways requires the expression of a number of transgenes, each with a specific promoter to avoid induction of silencing mechanisms. In maize (Zea mays), used as a model for cereals, an efficient Agrobacterium tumefaciens-mediated transformation system has been established that is applied for translational research. In the current transformation vectors, the promoters of the 35S gene of the cauliflower mosaic virus and of the ubiquitin gene of maize are often used to drive the bialaphos-selectable marker and the transgene, respectively. To expand the number of promoters, genes with either constitutive or seed-specific expression were selected in Brachypodium distachyon, a model grass distantly related to maize. After the corresponding Brachypodium promoters had been fused to the β-glucuronidase reporter gene, their activity was followed throughout maize development and quantified in a fluorimetric assay with the 4-methylumbelliferyl β-D-glucuronide substrate. The promoters pBdEF1α and pBdUBI10 were constitutively and highly active in maize, whereas pBdGLU1 was clearly endosperm-specific, hence, expanding the toolbox for transgene analysis in maize. The data indicate that Brachypodium is an excellent resource for promoters for transgenic research in heterologous cereal species.
- Subjects
GLUCURONIDASE genetics; BRACHYPODIUM; CORN; ENDOSPERM; PROMOTERS (Genetics); AGROBACTERIUM
- Publication
Journal of Experimental Botany, 2012, Vol 63, Issue 11, p4263
- ISSN
0022-0957
- Publication type
Article
- DOI
10.1093/jxb/ers113