Related Experiment Video
Updated: Aug 8, 2026
08:10
Environmentally Induced Heritable Changes in Flax
Published on: January 26, 2011
5'CATGCAT-3' Elements Modulate the Expression of Glycinin Genes
J M Lelievre1, L O Oliveira, N C Nielsen
1United States Department of Agriculture, Agricultural Research Service, Purdue University, West Lafayette, Indiana 47907.
Plant Physiology
|January 1, 1992
Summary
The 5'-CATGCAT-3' element in legume seed protein gene promoters is crucial for gene expression. Removing this element significantly reduces protein production, indicating its regulatory role.
Area of Science:
- Molecular Biology
- Plant Genetics
- Biochemistry
Background:
- Legume seed proteins are essential for plant development and nutrition.
- Promoters of these seed proteins often contain conserved DNA sequences, such as 5 acgtacgt-3 elements.
- The precise function of these elements in gene regulation remains to be fully elucidated.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the functional role of the 5 acgtacgt-3 element in the regulation of legume seed protein gene expression.
- To determine the impact of this element on the quantitative levels of gene transcription.
Main Methods:
- A 2.3 kilobase pair promoter region of the Glycine max (soybean) glycinin gene (Gy2) was isolated.
- The promoter was fused to a beta-glucuronidase (GUS) reporter gene.
- The construct was transformed into Nicotiana tabacum (tobacco) for expression analysis.
- Site-directed mutagenesis was used to delete the 5 acgtacgt-3 element and upstream promoter regions.
Main Results:
- Deletion of the 5 acgtacgt-3 element located 101 base pairs upstream of the transcription start site resulted in an approximate 10-fold decrease in GUS activity.
- Removal of 1.9 kilobase pairs from the 5 -end of the promoter led to a two-to threefold reduction in GUS activity.
- These findings highlight the significant contribution of the 5 acgtacgt-3 element to gene expression levels.
Conclusions:
- The 5 acgtacgt-3 element is a key regulatory component that positively influences the expression of legume seed protein genes.
- While this element is critical, other regulatory factors located further upstream in the promoter region also contribute to modulating the overall level of gene expression.
Related Concept Videos
01:17Gene Regulation During Sporulation
Sporulation is a complex developmental process that allows certain Gram-positive bacteria, such as Bacillus subtilis and Clostridium species, to survive extreme environmental conditions. This process is tightly regulated by a series of signaling cascades and transcriptional controls, ensuring the formation of a highly resistant endospore.Sporulation is triggered by unfavorable conditions, such as nutrient depletion, and is governed by a phosphorelay system. One of the sensor kinases, such as...
01:58Cell Specific Gene Expression
Multicellular organisms contain a variety of structurally and functionally distinct cell types, but the DNA in all the cells originated from the same parent cells. The differences in the cells can be attributed to the differential gene expression. Liver cells, whose functions include detoxification of blood, production of bile to metabolize fats, and synthesis of proteins essential for metabolism, must express a specific set of genes to perform their functions. Gene expression also varies with...
01:58Cell Specific Gene Expression
Multicellular organisms contain a variety of structurally and functionally distinct cell types, but the DNA in all the cells originated from the same parent cells. The differences in the cells can be attributed to the differential gene expression. Liver cells, whose functions include detoxification of blood, production of bile to metabolize fats, and synthesis of proteins essential for metabolism, must express a specific set of genes to perform their functions. Gene expression also varies with...
01:27Constitutive and Regulated Gene Expression
Gene expression in prokaryotes is governed by constitutive and regulated systems, allowing cells to balance the production of essential proteins with adaptive responses to environmental changes.Constitutive Gene ExpressionConstitutive, or housekeeping, genes are continuously expressed as they encode proteins vital for fundamental cellular processes. These include enzymes for glycolysis, ribosomal components for protein synthesis, and proteins involved in DNA replication. Their constant...
02:33Combinatorial Gene Control
Combinatorial gene control is the synergistic action of several transcriptional factors to regulate the expression of a single gene. The absence of one or more of these factors may lead to a significant difference in the level of gene expression or repression.
The expression of more than 30,000 genes is controlled by approximately 2000-3000 transcription factors. This is possible because a single transcription factor can recognize more than one regulatory sequence. The specificity in gene...
The expression of more than 30,000 genes is controlled by approximately 2000-3000 transcription factors. This is possible because a single transcription factor can recognize more than one regulatory sequence. The specificity in gene...
01:22Activation and Inactivation of G Proteins
Heterotrimeric G proteins are guanine nucleotide-binding proteins. As the name suggests, heterotrimeric G proteins are composed of three subunits: alpha, beta, and gamma. They remain GDP-bound or GTP-bound inside the cells and switch between inactive/active states. The Gα subunit possesses the nucleotide-binding pocket that binds guanine nucleotides and switches between GDP or GTP-bound states. In contrast, the Gꞵ and Gγ subunits are always bound together with high affinity and are together...