Skip to main content
ARS Home » Midwest Area » Columbus, Ohio » Soil Drainage Research » Research » Publications at this Location » Publication #118040
Title: STRUCTURE AND ACTIVITY OF A SOYBEAN ADH PROMOTER DETERMINED IN TRANSGENIC HAIRY ROOTS

Author
item PREISZNER, J - HORT & CROP SCI - OSU
item Vantoai, Tara
item HUYNH, L - HORT & CROP SCI - OSU
item BOLLA, R - DEPT BIOLOGY, ST LOUIS U
item YEN, H - HORT & CROP SCI - OSU

Submitted to: Plant Cell Reports
Publication Type: Peer Reviewed Journal
Publication Acceptance Date: 7/30/2001
Publication Date: 9/25/2001
Citation: Preiszner, J., Vantoai, T.T., Huynh, L., Bolla, R.I., Yen, H.H. 2001. Structure and activity of a soybean adh promoter determined in transgenic hairy roots. Plant Cell Reports. Vol. 20. p. 763-769.

Interpretive Summary: The lack of oxygen that may occur in the vicinity of plant roots when the soil is flooded causes plants to begin producing a group of "stress proteins" that allow plants to cope with the stress. One of the most well-studied stress proteins in corn is alcohol dehydrogenase (ADH). In addition to the lack of oxygen, the ADH genes are also induced by heat, dehydration, cold and hormonal treatment. Extensive studies of the structure and function of the corn and Arabidopsis ADH promoters have identified several common DNA stretches (elements) that are essential for the proper gene responses to environmental stimuli. Compared to corn and Arabidopsis, the structure and expression of the soybean ADH promoter have not been as well documented. In this study, we isolated a 976 base-pair promoter of a soybean ADH gene. This promoter contains elements characteristic of known ADH promoters. The activity of the soybean ADH promoter was determined in transgenic hairy roots. The results indicated that this promoter expressed exclusively in roots under a low oxygen environment and did not respond to cold temperature, wounding and hormonal treatment. The intention is to use this promoter in experiments to improve the plant's tolerance to flooding or low oxygen stress.

Technical Abstract: The alcohol dehydrogenase (Adh) gene in plants is transcriptionally induced by anoxia and hypoxia. The Adh gene family consists of one to four members depending on the plant species. The developmental expression and tissue-specific responses of each gene member to hypoxic stress have been well documented. In addition to hypoxia, the Adh gene is also induced by heat, dehydration, cold and treatment with thehormone ABA. Extensive studies of the structure and function of the maize Adh promoters have identified several common motifs that are essential for the proper responses to environmental stimuli. Compared to maize and Arabidopsis, the structure and expression of the soybean Adh promoter have not been as well documented. In this study, we isolated a 976 bp fragment upstream of the soybean Adh2 gene start codon. The putative promoter contains motifs homologous to the Anaerobiosis Responsive Element (ARE) and the G-box-1 palindromic element characteristic of known Adh promoters. The putative promoter was fused with the GUS reporter gene and the pBI-AdhGUS plasmid was introduced into soybean cotyledons by Agrobacterium rhizogenes transformation. GUS activity assay and histochemical staining of the five transgenic AdhGUS hairy roots indicated that the promoter was inducible by anoxia but did not respond to cold temperature, wounding and ABA treatment. GUS expression in transgenic 35S-GUS hairy roots was not affected by anoxia, cold, wounding and ABA. The intention is to use the promoter in transformation experiments where the hypoxically induced root specific expression of the transgenes is needed to improve the plant's tolerance to flooding or hypoxia stress.