High-level expression of a sweet potato sporamin gene promoter: beta-glucuronidase (GUS) fusion gene in the stems of transgenic tobacco plants is conferred by multiple cell type-specific regulatory elements.

Genes coding for sporamin, the most abundant protein of the tuberous root of the sweet potato, are expressed at a high levels in the stems of plantlets cultured axenically on sucrose-containing medium. Their expression is also induced in leaf-petiole explants by high concentrations of sucrose. A fusion gene comprising of the 1 kb 5' upstream region of the gSPO-A1 gene coding for the A-type sporamin and the coding sequence of bacterial beta-glucuronidase (GUS) was introduced into the tobacco genome by Agrobacterium-mediated transformation. Transgenic tobacco plants cultured axenically on sucrose-containing medium expressed GUS activity predominantly in their stems. Histochemical examination of GUS activity using a chromogenic substrate showed a distinct spatial pattern of GUS staining in the stem. Strong GUS activity was detected in the internal phloem of the vascular system and at the node, especially at the base of the axillary bud. Relatively weaker GUS activity was also detected in pith parenchyma. A 5' deletion of the promoter to nucleotide -305, relative to the transcription start site, did not alter significantly the level of GUS activity or the spatial pattern of GUS staining in the stem. However, further deletions to -237 and -192 resulted in a decrease in the level of GUS activity in the stem that occurred simultaneously with the loss of GUS staining in both the internal phloem and at the base of the axillary bud. However, plants with these deletion constructs still exhibited the predominant expression pattern of GUS activity in the stem and GUS staining in the pith parenchyma cells. Deletion to -94 completely abolished the expression of GUS activity. These results indicate that a sequence between -305 and -237 contains a cis-regulatory element(s) that is required for expression of the GUS reporter gene in both the internal phloem and at the base of the axillary bud, while a sequence between -192 and -94 contains a cis-acting element(s) that is required for expression in pith parenchyma cells.