Abstract
A tobacco ERF2 binds to a GCC-box, involved in transcriptional control of defense genes in response to ethylene and elicitor. However, it has been still unclear whether ERF2 activates transcription of endogenous genes, such as a gene for chitinase, which contain GCC box in their promoter region. In this study, we examined the expression of a putative target gene of ERF2 in transgenic tobacco plants harboring CaMV35S::ERF2 or CaMV35S::ERF2:GR. In the transgenic plants, mRNA levels of BCHN and Hsr203J, which contains and lacks GCC-box in their promoter region, respectively, were examined. Most of 35S::ERF2 transgenic lines accumulated high level of mRNA for BCHN but not HSR203J. In 35S::ERF2:GR transgenic lines treated with DEX for 6 hours, BCHN mRNA accumulation was induced independently of ethylene but Hsr203J mRNA level was unchanged. These results indicate that ERF2 functions as an activator of the GCC-box mediated transcription of defense genes in tobacco cells.
