Abstract
AtRAD51 gene encodes an Arabidopsis homologue of E. coli RecA protein that catalyzes homologous recombination and repair of chromosomal DNA. The AtRAD51 mRNA expression is regulated by DNA damage and cell cycle, but the mechanisms and signal transduction pathway involved in the AtRAD51 transcriptional regulation are largely unknown. In order to investigate regulatory mechanisms of DNA-damage induced gene expression in plants, we carried out functional analysis of the AtRAD51 gene promoter. A 0.7 kb fragment of the 5′-upstream region of AtRAD51 genomic DNA was fused to the firefly luciferase reporter gene and introduced into tobacco cells by microprojectile bombardment and Agrobacterium-mediated transformation. Induction experiment using bleomycin indicated that the AtRAD51 promoter is able to direct gene expression in tobacco cells in response to DNA damage.
