Activity of a flax pectin methylesterase promoter in transgenic tobacco pollen

The regulatory region of the flax Lupme3 gene, which codes for a pectin methylesterase, contains two sequences (PB box) that are putative cis-active sequence elements thought to regulate transcription in pollen. The Lupme3 promoter was fused to the beta-glucuronidase (gus) reporter gene. The chimeric gene fusion was introduced into tobacco via Agrobacterium-mediated transformation. Expression of the reporter gene was monitored using a histochemical X-Gluc assay at different stages of pollen maturation and germination. The Lupme3 promoter was found to be active in germination-competent mature pollen and in pollen tube.