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. 1988 Sep;85(18):6738–6742. doi: 10.1073/pnas.85.18.6738

Glutathione and fungal elicitor regulation of a plant defense gene promoter in electroporated protoplasts

Michel Dron 1, Steven D Clouse 1,*, Richard A Dixon 1,†, Michael A Lawton 1, Christopher J Lamb 1,‡
PMCID: PMC282053  PMID: 16593981

Abstract

To investigate the mechanisms underlying activation of plant defenses against microbial attack we have studied elicitor regulation of a chimeric gene comprising the 5′ flanking region of a defense gene encoding the phytoalexin biosynthetic enzyme chalcone synthase fused to a bacterial chloramphenicol acetyltransferase gene. Glutathione or fungal elicitor caused a rapid, marked but transient expression of the chimeric gene electroporated into soybean protoplasts. The response closely resembled that of endogenous chalcone synthase genes in suspension cultured cells. Functional analysis of 5′ deletions suggests that promoter activity is determined by an elicitor-regulated activator located between the “TATA box” and nucleotide position -173 and an upstream silencer between -173 and -326. These cis-acting elements function in the transduction of the elicitation signal to initiate elaboration of an inducible defense response.

Keywords: chalcone synthase, elicitor induction, transcription regulation

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Selected References

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