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. 1997 Feb;9(2):171–184. doi: 10.1105/tpc.9.2.171

The wheat transcriptional activator SPA: a seed-specific bZIP protein that recognizes the GCN4-like motif in the bifactorial endosperm box of prolamin genes.

D Albani 1, M C Hammond-Kosack 1, C Smith 1, S Conlan 1, V Colot 1, M Holdsworth 1, M W Bevan 1
PMCID: PMC156909  PMID: 9061949

Abstract

The conserved bifactorial endosperm box found in the promoter of wheat storage protein genes comprises two different cis elements that are thought to be involved in regulating endosperm-specific gene expression. Endosperm nuclear extracts contain binding activities. One is called ESBF-I, which binds to the endosperm motif (EM), and the other is called ESBF-II, which binds to the GCN4-like motif(GLM). Here, we present a functional analysis of the endosperm box of a low-molecular-weight glutenin gene found on the 1D1 chromosome of hexaploid wheat (LMWG-1D1) in transgenic tobacco plants. Our analysis demonstrates the necessity of the EM and GLM for endosperm-specific gene expression and suggests the presence in tobacco of functional counterparts of wheat ESBF-I and ESBF-II. Furthermore, we describe the isolation and characterization of cDNA clones encoding SPA, a seed-specific basic leucine zipper protein from wheat that can activate transcription from the GLMs of the -326-bp LMWG-1D1 promoter in both maize and tobacco leaf protoplasts. This activation is also partially dependent on the presence of functional EMs, suggesting interactions between SPA with ESBF-I-like activities.

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Selected References

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