MOLECULAR CHARACTERIZATION AND TRANSIENT EXPRESSION OF MAIZE SUS1 PROMOTER

Abstract

Sucrose synthase (SS) is one of the key enzymes in plant carbohydrate metabolism. In maize, this enzyme is encoded by two genes, Sh1 and Sus1. We have isolated and determined the 5'-upstream sequence of maize Sus1 gene and compared it with the corresponding sequence in Sh1 gene. Sequence analysis revealed that there was a weak homology between the two promoters and no common sequence elements were found. To understand the differential regulation of the expression of the two genes, we constructed chimeric GUS fusions using the two promoters of SS genes. By using the biolistic system, we delivered these constructs into various plant tissues, and their transient expression was studied. Our results showed that the two promoters of SS genes directed tissue-specific expression in the same way that the two genes are expressed in vivo. The effectiveness of the expression of the constructs was recorded by counting the total blue expression units (blue spots) per shot and by fluorometric assays. High levels of GUS activity were detected in the immature embryos, young coleoptiles, and heterotrophic young leaves bombarded with the Sus–GUS construct. More than 100 expression units were observed in these tissues. Compared with the transient expression of the 35S promoter in the same tissue, Sus promoter activity was twice as high. Strong Sus–GUS expression was also detected in the aleurone cells of developing kernels. In contrast, the Sh-GUS construct was expressed only in the endosperm with an activity twice as high as that of Sus–GUS and 35S–GUS in the same tissue. The results will be discussed in terms of the physiological roles of the two SS isozymes in plant tissues.