ARS | Publication request: DISCRETE TATA BOXES WITHIN THE PROMOTERS OF TWO PEACH DEHYDRIN GENES CONTROL DIFFERENTIAL EXPRESSION

Submitted to: Plant Physiology
Publication Type: Abstract Only
Publication Acceptance Date: April 1, 2002
Publication Date: July 6, 2002
Citation: BASSETT, C.L., ARTLIP, T.S., WISNIEWSKI, M.E. DISCRETE TATA BOXES WITHIN THE PROMOTERS OF TWO PEACH DEHYDRIN GENES CONTROL DIFFERENTIAL EXPRESSION. PLANT PHYSIOLOGY. 2002.

Technical Abstract: A genomic clone encoding two dehydrin genes, Ppdhn1 and Ppdhn2, has been isolated from peach (Prunus persica [L.] Batsch.). Ppdhn1, previously described, can be classified as a Y2K9-type dehydrin that exhibits considerable identity with Arabidopsis Xero2 (a K6 dehydrin). Ppdhn2 represents a dehydrin of the Y2SK3 type. In contrast to Ppdhn1 having no introns, the newly identified Ppdhn2 gene contains a single intron separating the 'S' domain from the 'K' domain similar to that of a dehydrin-like gene found on chromosome III of Arabidopsis. Both peach genes contain over 1 kbp of sequence 5' of the translation start codon, suggesting that most of the promoter regions of the two genes are intact. Sequence analysis indicated the presence of multiple, putative TATA boxes in both promoters, as well as the presence of other regulatory elements. RT-PCR was used to measure TATA box activity in both promoters using cDNAs prepared from different peach tissues, including seasonal collections of bark tissues and a fruit development series. Results indicate that TATA box activity varies both within and between the two dehydrin promoters. For example, Ppdhn1 exhibited seasonal expression of two TATA boxes close to the translational start site, with a TATA box further upstream being only occasionally active. In contrast, Ppdhn2 exhibited little evidence of seasonal expression and less multiple TATA box activity. We are investigating the physiological relevance of these expression patterns with respect to the induction and regulation of these two dehydrins in peach.