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Activity of a maize ubiquitin promoter in transgenic rice

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Abstract

We have used the maize ubiquitin 1 promoter, first exon and first intron (UBI) for rice (Oryza sativa L. cv. Taipei 309) transformation experiments and studied its expression in transgenic calli and plants. UBI directed significantly higher levels of transient gene expression than other promoter/intron combinations used for rice transformation. We exploited these high levels of expression to identify stable transformants obtained from callus-derived protoplasts co-transfected with two chimeric genes. The genes consisted of UBI fused to the coding regions of the uidA and bar marker genes (UBI:GUS and UBI:BAR). UBI:GUS expression increased in response to thermal stress in both transfected protoplasts and transgenic rice calli. Histochemical localization of GUS activity revealed that UBI was most active in rapidly dividing cells. This promoter is expressed in many, but not all, rice tissues and undergoes important changes in activity during the development of transgenic rice plants.

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Author notes

  1. Maria-Jesús Cornejo

    Present address: Departmento de Biologia Vegetal, Facultad de Farmacia, Universidad de Valencia, Avda. Vicente Andres Estelles s/n, 46100 Burjassot, Valencia, Spain

  2. Diane Luth

    Present address: Department of Fruit Crops, University of Florida, 32611, Gainesville, FL, USA

  3. Kathleen M. Blankenship

    Present address: Neurogenetics Laboratory, University of California, 94143, San Francisco, CA, USA

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Western Regional Research Center, Agricultural Research Service, United States Department of Agriculture, 800 Buchanan Street, 94710, Albany, CA, USA

    Maria-Jesús Cornejo, Diane Luth, Kathleen M. Blankenship, Olin D. Anderson & Ann E. Blechl

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  1. Maria-Jesús Cornejo
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Cornejo, MJ., Luth, D., Blankenship, K.M. et al. Activity of a maize ubiquitin promoter in transgenic rice. Plant Mol Biol 23, 567–581 (1993). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00019304

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00019304

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