Tissue-specific expression directed by an Arabidopsis thaliana pre-ferredoxin promoter in transgenic tobacco plants.

We have isolated and analyzed a pre-ferredoxin gene from Arabidopsis thaliana. This gene encodes a 148 amino acid precursor protein including a chloroplast transit peptide of 52 residues. Southern analysis shows the presence of a single copy of this ferredoxin (Fd) gene in the A. thaliana genome. Its expression is tissue-specific and positively affected by light. Response times, both to dark and light conditions, are remarkably rapid. A chimeric gene consisting of a 1.2 kb Fd promoter fragment fused to the beta-glucuronidase reporter gene was transferred to tobacco. This fusion gene is expressed in a tissue-specific way; it shows high levels of expression in green leaves, as compared to root tissue.