Regulating expressin of cell and tissue-specific genes by modifying transcription
- Donald Danforth Plant Science Center, St. Louis, MO (United States)
Transcriptional regulation is the primary step to control gene expression, therefore function. Such regulation is achieved primarily via a combination of the activities of the promoter cis regulatory DNA elements and trans regulatory proteins that function through binding to these DNA elements. Our research supported by this program has led to the identification of rice bZIP transcription factors RF2a, RF2b and RLP1 that play key roles in regulating the activity of a vascular tissue specific promoter isolated from Rice Tungro Bacilliform Virus (RTBV) through their interactions with the Box II essential cis element located in the promoter. RF2a, RF2b and RLP1 possess multiple regulatory domains. Functional characterization reveals that those domains can activate or repress the activity of the RTBV promoter. Studies of transcriptional regulation of the RTBV promoter by this group of bZIP proteins not only provide insights about gene expression in the vascular tissue, but also insights about general mechanisms of transcription activation and repression. The knowledge gained from this research will also enable us to develop a well-described set of tools that can be used to control expression of multiple genes in transgenic plants and to improve biofuel feedstock.
- Research Organization:
- Donald Danforth Plant Science Center, St. Louis, MO (United States)
- Sponsoring Organization:
- USDOE Office of Science (SC)
- DOE Contract Number:
- FG02-99ER20355
- OSTI ID:
- 969026
- Report Number(s):
- DOE-ER20355-3
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
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