[Regulation pattern of the FRUITFULL (FUL) gene of Arabidopsis thaliana]

FRUITFULL (FUL) is an MADS box gene that functions early in controlling flowering time, meristem identity and cauline leaf morphology and later in carpel and fruit development in Arabidopsis thaliana. In order to clarify the regulation of FUL expression the upstream regulatory region, -2148 bp - +96 bp and the first intron of the FUL gene were cloned, and vectors with a series of deletion of FUL promoter, and the ones fused with the first intron were constructed. Vectors harboring the fusion of cis-acting elements with the constitutive promoters of TUBULIN and ACTIN were also constructed. Beta-Glucuronidase activity assays of the transgenic Arabidopsis plants showed that two cis-elements were involved in the repression of FUL expression, with one of the two being probably the binding site of the transcriptional factor AP1. And the two CArG boxes played a important role in FUL initiation particularly. Furthermore, the first intron of FUL was shown to participate in the development of carpel and stamen as an enhancer.