Team:Nevada/RD29APromoter

From 2010.igem.org


rd29A Stress Induced Promoter

The stress-inducible rd29A (responsive to dehydration 29A) promoter is derived from Arabidopsis thaliana, which is a small flowering plant that is a member of the mustard family (Brassicaceae). DRE and ABA dependent binding sequences have been found within the promoter region, and are shown to be independent of each other. The DRE/CRT binding sequences are the target of the binding protein DREB1C. DREB1C activation of rd29A is regulated by cold stress responses, yet salinity and drought stresses also activate rd29A using alternative ABA independent and dependent transcription factors.

From previous studies, the rd29A promoter not only increases the resistance to different stresses in plants, but it also minimizes the negative effects such as dwarfism (only 30% grown reduction compared to the wild type plant and only a slight growth retardation phenotype on the tobacco plant ) in comparison to the 78% growth reduction of the 35S promoter. This proved that the rd29A is a better promoter than the 35S when used with a stress reporter. Another study also showed that the survival rates of the transgenic clones (with the rd29A promoter) had a greater probability of survival after recovery from exposure to freezing temperatures. This was compared to the non-transgenic cells that showed damage to the plant with no recovery after freezing. Therefore, the rd29A promoter is critically important for it can potentially improve agricultural techniques that farmers can use for their crops.


References
Cong L, Zheng H, Zhang Y, Chai T. Arabidopsis DREB1A confers high salinity tolerance and regulates the expression of GA dioxygenases in Tobacco. Plant Science [serial online]. February 2008;174(2):156-164. Available from: Academic Search Premier, Ipswich, MA. Accessed October 24, 2010.
Babak B, Akira K, Fevziye C, Mie K, Kazuko Y, Kazuo W. Arabidopsis rd29A::DREB1A enhances freezing tolerance in transgenic potato. Plant Cell Reports [serial online]. August 26, 2007;26(8):1275-1282. Available from: Academic Search Premier, Ipswich, MA. Accessed October 25, 2010.