Cis-acting elements analysis and function detection of xylem specific promoter from Populus

Abstract

The cis-acting elements of JCesAP, YCesAP, and MDCesAP were analyzed by the PLACE database, the results showed that three sequences all had a core element and upstream promoter element containing TATA-box and CAAT-box. The sequences related xylem-specific and wound-defense functions were found in YCesAP and MDCesAP; and the “core xylem gene set” in JCesAP, indicating that three sequences were xylem-specific and provided with wound-defense functions. Meanwhile, some other elements were also detected, including some tissue-specific elements and some regulative ones that were induced by light, temperature, and water. For investigating their functions, three sequences of JCesAP, YCesAP, and MDCesAP were respectively combined with the report gene GFP, and those reconstructed GFP genes were respectively transferred into the genome of Populus tomentose by Agrobacterium-mediated transformation method. The detected results of GFP expressions in hygromycin B resistant calli of P. tomentosa showed that three sequences all possessed the promoter functions with tissue-specific characteristics.