Abstract
To characterize gene-expression mechanism by aluminum (Al) stress in plants, two Al induced Arabidopsis glutathione S-transferase genes, AtGST1 and AtGST11, were investigated.
Approximately 1 kb upstream region including each promoter was fused to a GUS gene (pAtGST1::GUS and pAtGST11::GUS) and introduced into Arabidopsis (Lernsberg). The constructed two transgenic lines show a time-dependent gene-expression (maximum inductions of the AtGST1 and AtGST11 were seen after 2 and 8 h treatment, respectively) in roots and/or leaves with a different degree. Comparison of the DNA sequence in each promoter region suggested that the homology and differences in sequence probably cause similarities and differences in response to Al. Furthermore, our gel-shift assay indicated that there is a binding site for nuclear factor(s) in the promoter region of the AtGST11 gene. It suggests a possibility that an Al stress-specific DNA binding nuclear factor(s) may influence gene-expression of the AtGST11::GUS gene during Al stress.
