Regulatory sequences of Arabidopsis drive reporter gene expression in nematode feeding structures

In the quest for plant regulatory sequences capable of driving nematode-triggered effector gene expression in feeding structures, we show that promoter tagging is a valuable tool. A large collection of transgenic Arabidopsis plants was generated. They were transformed with a beta-glucuronidase gene functioning as a promoter tag. Three T-DNA constructs, pGV1047, p delta gusBin19, and pMOG553, were used. Early responses to nematode invasion were of primary interest. Six lines exhibiting beta-glucuronidase activity in syncytia induced by the beet cyst nematode were studied. Reporter gene activation was also identified in galls induced by root knot and ectoparasitic nematodes. Time-course studies revealed that all six tags were differentially activated during the development of the feeding structure. T-DNA-flanking regions responsible for the observed responses after nematode infection were isolated and characterized for promoter activity.