Cloning and characterization of a multifunctional promoter from maize (Zea mays L.)

The use of tissue-specific promoters to drive the expression of target genes during certain developmental stages or in specific organs can prevent unnecessary gene expression caused by constitutive promoters. Utilizing heterologous promoters to regulate the expression of genes in transgenic receptors can help prevent gene silencing. Here, we engineered heterologous maize promoters that regulate gene-specific expression in rice plant receptors. We performed a histochemical and quantitative β-glucuronidase (GUS) analysis of the Zea mays legumin1 (ZM-LEGF) gene promoter and detailed detection of stably transformed rice expressing the GUS gene under the control of the promoter of ZM-LEGF (pZM-LEGF) and its truncated promoters throughout development. When the promoter sequence was truncated, the location and intensity of GUS expression changed. The results suggest that the sequence from -140 to +41 is a critical region that confers the expression of the entire promoter. Truncation of pZM-LEG (3'-deleted region of pZM-LEGF) markedly increased the GUS activity, with the core cis-elements located in the -273 to -140 regions, namely pZM-LEG6. Detailed analysis of pZM-LEG6::GUS T2 transformant rice seeds and plant tissues at different developmental stages indicated that this promoter is an ideal vegetative tissue-specific promoter that can serve as a valuable tool for transgenic rice breeding and genetic engineering studies.