AUTHOR=Zhou Shumin , Zhang Hongli , Li Ruisha , Hong Qiang , Li Yang , Xia Qunfang , Zhang Wei 

TITLE=Function Identification of the Nucleotides in Key cis-Element of DYSFUNCTIONAL TAPETUM1 (DYT1) Promoter

JOURNAL=Frontiers in Plant Science

VOLUME=8

YEAR=2017

URL=https://www.frontiersin.org/journals/plant-science/articles/10.3389/fpls.2017.00153

DOI=10.3389/fpls.2017.00153

ISSN=1664-462X

ABSTRACT=<p>As a core regulatory gene of the anther development, <italic>DYSFUNCTIONAL TAPETUM1</italic> (<italic>DYT1</italic>) was expressed in tapetum preferentially. Previous study had confirmed that a “CTCC” sequence within <italic>DYT1</italic> promoter was indispensable for correct <italic>DYT1</italic> expression. However, precise analysis on the function of each nucleotide of this sequence still lacks. Here we employed site mutation assay to identify the function roles of the nucleotides. As a result, the “T” and final “C” of “CTCC” were found essential for the temporal and spatial specificity of <italic>DYT1</italic> expression, whereas the other two “C” nucleotides exhibited substitutable somewhat. The substitutes of two flanking nucleotides of “CTCC,” however, hardly affected the normal promoter function, suggesting that the “CTCC” sequence as a whole did meet the standard of a canonical <italic>cis</italic>-element by definition. In addition, it was found that as short as 497 bp <italic>DYT1</italic> promoter was sufficient for tissue-specific expression, while longer 505 bp <italic>DYT1</italic> promoter sequence was sufficient for species-specific expression.</p>