Local induction of the alc gene switch in transgenic tobacco [Nicotiana] plants by acetaldehyde
2004
Schaarschmidt, S. (Leibniz-Inst. fuer Pflanzenbiochemie, Halle (Germany)) | Qu, N. | Strack, D. | Sonnewald, U. | Hause, B.
The ale promoter system, derived from the filamentous fungi Aspergillus nidulans, allows chemically regulated gene expression in plants and thereby the study of gene function as well as metabolic and developmental processes. In addition to ethanol, this system can be activated by acetaldehyde, described as the physiological inducer in A. nidulans. Here, we show that in contrast to ethanol, acetaldehyde allows tissue-specific activation of the ale promoter in transgenic tobacco plants. Soil drenching with aqueous acetaldehyde solutions at a concentration of 0.05% (v/v) resulted in the rapid and temporary induction of the ale gene expression system exclusively in roots. In addition, the split root system allows activation to be restricted to the treated part of the root. The temporary activation of the ale system by soil drenching with acetaldehyde could be prolonged over several weeks by subsequent applications at intervals of 7 d. This effect was demonstrated for the rootspecific induction of a yeast-derived apoplast-located invertase under the control of the alcohol-inducible promoter system. In leaves, which exhibit a lower responsiveness to acetaldehyde than roots, the ale system was induced in the directly treated tissue only. Thus, acetaldehyde can he used as a local inducer of the ale gene expression system in tobacco plants.
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