Patent Application: US-46652104-A

Abstract:
the present invention relates to an anther - specific cotton gene , and active promoter fragments thereof . these promoters show strong anther - specific activity .

Description:
an anther - specific gene ( cofs ) and its corresponding promoter were isolated from cotton by differential display assay . the activity and tissue specificity of the isolated promoter was confirmed in transgenic tobacco plants using the cofs promoter to control the expression of the gus reporter gene . northern blot analysis of cdnas from a variety of cotton tissues showed that a cdna clone comprising the cofs gene was strongly expressed in anthers , and also expressed in petal tissue , but less or not at all in other tissues . see fig1 . an anther - specific gene ( named cofs ) was isolated from cotton . the isolated complete cofs cdna is 8 . 4 kb in length . see table i . based on the cofs cdna sequence , a cofs promoter fragment ( 2 . 6 kb ) was isolated . see table ii . comparing the nucleotide and predicted polypeptide sequences of the cotton cofs gene with published sequences revealed that the gene was about 54 - 58 % identical at the amino acid level with acyl - coa synthetase ( probable long - chain - acid ccoa ligase , ec 6 . 2 . 1 . 3 ) genes from some plants such as brassica napus ( x94624 ) and arabidopsis ( al078468 , al161560 ). less homology was found at the nucleotide level , indicating that cofs is a novel gene found in cotton . analyzing the cofs gene sequence revealed that it may contain 9 - 10 exons and 8 - 9 introns in its open reading frame , based on amino acid sequences of the known acyl - coa synthetases . the cofs promoter fragment was fused with the gus gene to construct gene expression vectors for analyzing the function of the promoter . transgenic tobacco plants with the cofs promoter / gus fusion genes were identified by southern blot hybridization . in the transgenic plants studied , gus activity was detected in anther , and weakly in ovaries , styles and stigmas , but not in petals or other tissues . this result , together with northern blot analysis , indicates that the cofs promoter is anther - specific in cotton . the promoter controls specific gene expression at the transcriptional level in cotton anthers . the isolated promoter may be used in improving expression of desired genes in anther and related tissues of the plant sexual organs to create new plant varieties , thereby enhancing quality and yield of the plant by gene manipulation . the promoters of the present invention are useful in creating transgenic plants , especially including cotton , having improved expression of the transgene in anther tissue . better expression of protective genes , such as the bt gene , in anther tissue results in a plant with increased resistance to bt - sensitive pests . genes which may be expressed under the control of this promoter include any gene suitable for the purpose . table i sequence of the cofs gene from cotton ( seq id no : 1 ). cctcacatttaagcggaaaaaaatattaactaattactaattactaaggtcatgggt tgcgcattaaagttcactgacgattgtgcaaatgatgttccatagagcttaattgat gaaatgggaactcatgacccgcttgaagtaactcgacttgtagaactcatgaagaa gcttatctacttgaagttttggtagcccaatgaaatactctcgtaaatctagagttat tagtgtaaaccctaaagggatcaaattgtataaatttaaatcccttatgactttcaa ttgtagatagactctaatctcgatcatggatgtaactcaatctatttgttgggtttgg ggtgattacttcaattcattccattcatagttgtgaatatatttgagagtatttacgc aaacatttggtgtgtgctatttttcctttggtcttttgttcttcgttgcccattcgttc gagtttgctttcgctatattttaatgccttagaaaatttttgcgagaattctcatttt gtgagagttaagcgaacttagaattattttttttaaaatcgcttaaggctgtatggt ctgtgagactaaaattctagtctcgtaacactaatacaatcacaagtaatttacatt gttcaagttcttattcacataagcggttggataaagaaaattaaaaaaaaacaatc ggatataattacaaaaaaataaattgaaatgtgcaataatacaaataataattatt gctaaaggtaaataaaaaatgtaaataatatcaatgaagtttgaaaccttaaatg gtgaagtttgtgtcaactaatagaagaaaaaataaattatttatataactctactaa tgtattattttattttgtaaaattgatttatttatattatttctactaaattgatgtgg aattagtgatatctacttaattaactatatataattataatgaatctccgggactgt gactggtcaaagatcataaagtggtatccaataaatttaaaatgcacttgtaaaata ttagactcatgatggcactgaggcggaggtgaagaggcggcaaagcacatggaga agctatatagaaaattctttcacgaaaaaggcaactcttggcttgtgtgttgggaat tgtgttaagaactggattatataaaaacaattatatggggaaaggaaatggtccac tgtcaatagtttactataagcaagttggagatataaaattaaatatatattcagtac atatacgagtttgagcaacaaaattagagatcttttttgtcaagttgatatcttcaa ttttataacgtaaatgttcttttgaaggcaacagtaatgatatatatatatgtagaa gaaatttaactaaaaatagataattaggcttaatttaattaattcaagtgcaattgt tttatcataatatatattacattacaaggcttgaattattcatattttaaatttattt attagttaacaaagtaattattggtgcaaaaataaataaattattaccccattatct attttcttaaataaaaaaatatattatatatgccatttactctctttaaaaaaattta atttacaaataaactaataaatttgtatatgatgatttcgaatgagggttttaatac agttatcatgatgatttcaatacaatggttccaaatgaataaggattccactacaac attaaactcaccataatggtgattccaattgagtgttcctacataattatcatcata attcttacttggcaggatacaaaaaataataatgggtaaggtaattaaaaattaaa ataattatcaataaagtttttattatggtgacaaagtttgataatcattattaaatta ttaattgagtaaaatatttaaatatagtaatgtatatataatgaatctccggcgatg ttggctgttcaaagatcataaaatccaatacatttaaaatgcagctgtaaaatatga tgtaaagggcggataaagcacatggagaagccatatagaaatttcttccatgaaaa aggcgactcttagcttgtgtgttgggaattgtgttaagttatatgggaaaggaaata ttccactgtcaatagtttattataagcaagtgggagaaacaaaattaaatatgttat tttgaaggcaacagtaataatataattataaattaaaataacataatttaggcttaa tttaattaatggtaaactataaaaaaaagtcatttttgtttgcttcagattacatttt agtcacttatgtttgaaatgttacgttttagtcacttacattaccgttttgttacgaa gtggtcactttaccattaaactctattacctccctaacgacagtcctacgtggcagt caaaatgaattttaaatgctaacttggacgtccagttgctgggacattttccggttc acctacagccacctaatacttaggcgctatatattttcccaaaattattctccacatt tcactcccagagccctccatctatgtagagagctgtaagagagaatataaaaaagg gaaagctagctgaggatcgtttgattttggacattttgatgaaacggcctggaaata attttgtaatagaggtagagaaaggtaaagaccccagcgatggacagccgtcgatc ggtcctgtttatcgcagttcttttgctgctaatggattccctgctccgattcctggaa tggagagttgctgggacattttccggttcgtttttagctttctcttttttactttacgc ttcttgcttggctgctaagaaaataaggatactaggagaagatttgacttcttctat tctttgctttgatttcagatggctttcgcaatagttgccattttttttgaatttttact tccccttttttaagttgagtagatttttcttctaatttgttggctttgttatttttttat ttcgcgacgaggtggcgatgaaatcgagaaacgtacttttaaggatcctatgagaa agttatatgcaagatcgaaacgcctaatatttgaaactattgaattttaacgctcac acagagcaagaatcgagttactggtatttccattcttatagctgaaagattgatggc tttcattcaactcaatgtaaaactgtgaaataaattgtttaatagtagtaattatttt ggttttgatgcttatgtgatgtggagattaaaatattgcctccttataacttagctga accgtagatatgggctgattgaacttgctaactaactgtatgacagctcctatttac gaaaaagtaatattttatttgaggatgatgatttcgatttcattttctccttgcagta tgtcagttgagaaatatcctgacaaccatatgcttggtcgccgacagattgtggatg ggaaagtatgttgctgctgcagtttccttttttcttgttacttttgcgttctgtttgta gtgcggcctttgacttttagttcatgtatctaaattgacatgctttgattgcaggctg gaaaatacgtgtggcaaacttacagagaagtttatgacattgtaacaaaagttggg aattccatccgaagttgtgatgttgtggaagtaatgctttaacctccttttttccttt taattgtaaaattattgtcaattttttttataacaaatatcctatttctggggatcaa tatccacccacaattgatgctaataaaaaaaaaaattaagctttttattcttgctta cagggaggaaagtgtggtatttatggtgccaattgcccagaatggataattagcat ggaggtatgatcattctggcatgtttcatctgatttgcacagtggacatcccaagtt acttagatgtcgctataacttgtttctttggatcatactatttgctaccaaattgctt gttgcccgaaatgtttactaatgttgcaagattgatacaggcctgcaacgctcatgg actctattgtgttcctttatatgacactttgggtatttcttcttgagatccaacaaaa gcattctttcagtttttgccaaacaactacctttctctaacaaccatcttatgtgtat tatgtactcttcatatagtctgtgatcataatatccttaaactctttaaattattctt gcattccaacgcgcctgctactctttttgaatgtttgatacgttgctacatatttgta ggtgccggtgctgtggagtttatcatatgccatgcagaaatttctattgcttttgtag aggaaaagaagattaatgaggtatgcctgtttacatctatatttgaaaccctagtag tgatatggcaactactgggaaagatacttctagatacttgcaaaaataagatatcta tctacaaaatagattcgatgttttatttttattatcagcatttgcttctatgcttgctg ctcacttatgcatagttgatattgatacaagaatctgtaatttcacaaattttctgtt cttttttcttttgggtttctcatgtaaggtttttctttttcctttcagctgttcaaaac atttccagcctcaacagaacacttgaaaagtaagctatctgattatttagggggatt cttgaaatagtacgttacaaattatttatgtccatgtatttttgctatgcagcaattg ttagcttcgggaaggtaacacctgagcagaaggcagaagctgagaagcatggtttg aagatatatccttgggaggaatttttgcaactggtaagctctttgctctgttattttc cacttcaatttatcagaaataaaatttattctgctgaactaattgtgtctattttagc agactgccatcctgttagttacgagttcagatgaagccatatggctgtagaaaacat gcttctggcagtgcttaatatgaactaggcttcattacattttcatgcatgcgcctat atcttttttccttagctaaccgttattggattgatggattttaacctgtagatgactt atgttctgatttaagctcttatgtctgtttcttgcagggagaaaataagaattatggt cttccggtgaagaagaaaactgatatctgcacgataatgtatactagtggaacaac tggtgatccaaagggagtattgatttcaaatgatagtattgttactcttatagcagg ggtgaaacgcctgctggggagtgtaaatgaacaggtgaccttttcattttatttttg accatttcaccagtcacttggtttgatctgtcgtttcttttctttcctccaccaaattt gacatgattgttcccttgttttccctttctcatttgtttgtttcttgtgaaatttacag ttgactatgaaggatgtatatatttcttatcttcctcttgctcatatctttgaccggg tgattgaggaattatttatttcgcatggtgcttcaataggattttggcgtggggtaa gcatgattagttagtactctgacaacaaatacgggttcattcaaatcagcaagtgct tatttgtttcatcttcaggatgtgaaactattggtcgaagatattggagagctaaag ccaagtatcttctgtgctgttcctcgtgtcttagatagaatttattcaggtaaacttt cttatattcgtggattaggcaatgtcatttttgggttgtttgtggaggttatactaag caacctggaacatgtactagctggaaaacttgtcttaatttacttatttttagtattt ataaatgaaacaaaactagattgattcacttttctgttaaatacaatgaatatatac tcagcttttttcagaagatgcatgttctcagctgtgagattgtcataacctttgtaca ttatcaggtttactacagaagatttcttgcgggcggcttattgaaaaagaagatgtt tgatttagcatacacatagtaagttactctcatattttcagtttcttatgtgaagctg ttcattttatctgctggccgcccaaaaatattgattggaaatagagttaaattgctct attagttctgccactgcagactcaccggagtaaaggaaaataaaagatatttgggc attctctaacaagcaacagggtcaaaagcatatttttccttgtagacaaatatagaa tttgttagagttgtgtgacccaaattctagttaaaaaaaagtggcaagataggggg atttgtgggggcatcggaggcccccacggtacggtacagactgcacaagtggaatt cgtataaaagtacacttcttctatttgatattgatttgaataaggtgtttcaacctta ttgcattgcttctattaggttttgattagaataaggtttataggtcgtcgtctctctc tgcccgtggttttgtgtgttatatttttaccctctttctttacgattcattgtcattat cgaggtttgtttttcacagaattgtctcaatccctttgggtttatgagcttttgcatt agtagagatccatttgcagtctgtgattgcacttttcgtgaatatgtttaacagagtt actgaatcaggattacggtttcttggctttgattttactaatatctgacatctgtgat aacctacagcaaatactacaacatgaagaagggccgcaaacatggagaagcatctc caatttgtgacaaaattgtatttagtaaggtgatgaaagtcttcattgatacattat atgcacgaggctccttgaatattggccaaaagcccattaaatcacatttacctgcaa cataatcctcttgactactcaaatctcatgttgagttgtaatttttctcaggtaaagc aaggattgggagggaatgtgcggcttattctatctggtgcagcacctctttcagctc atgtggaagagttcttgcgagttgtggcatgttgtcatgttctgcaaggatatggta tagttgaagtcagcctttgtgcttgtgataagttctttttttccctttaccagctgtg cacactggctgcaacatgaacatttattattatgttgatccaaatgtaggtctgacg gagagttgtgcggggagttttgtctctttacctaatgaattgtcaatgcttggtactg tggggcctcccagtaccaaacatagatgtacgcctggaatctgttcccgaaatgaat tatgatgcccttgctagcacaccacggggggaaatttgtatcaaaggaaatacatta ttctcaggatactacaaacgtgaagacctcacccgtgaagtattgattgatggatgg ttccacacaggtcttccaacttttgtttcttttaaggttctatgcattattagttttta tctataagttgaagaccttgaatctttgtgcattaggggatattggagagtggcaac ctaatggaagcatgaagattattgatcgaaagaagaacatttttaagctttcacaag gtgaatatgttgctgttgagaacctggagaacatttacggtctcgtgtcagctattg attcggtacatctcttatgctctctttgatacattaacatacactgcttctcggatat gtagccatgcactgaatgttggtcaaacgtaaaattgattttgaaatgattggcaaa ttaaacattttctttcttatgttaccttatgattgcattccttttttagcactaggttt caacccattgccattgatggttgcttgattgaacaaaaataaacataataatcgaaa tatgcatgtcatgttacagtgtttttatcgtatcagttgtgtaaacatgtgtcaaaat cctttaacagaaatatgacaaatgtactaaatatgttaaatcatgcttaagcgcatc atatggtatctaaatttgtcatacatatatgtcatggaagtgatgtaaaataaacta tagtttatgtcagatttgtaatttacttgctggagattggcattcttttaaacttttc agtttcatgtctttatcaatttcagatatggatttacggaaacagctttgagtcgttc cttgttgcggttgttaaccccaataaggaagcacttgaaagctggggtgccgacaat aacgtaagtggtgacttcgagtccctctgtcaaaaccccaaggccaaagagttcata cttggggagctcgcaaagactggcaaagagaaaaaggttagttattcatgctttttg cccccttttttatttttcaaaatttatgaaatatgggtttatcaattcatactgaaat attataatctttactcagctaaaaggttttgaattctttggatcc [ 0018 ] table ii sequence of the cotton cofs promoter ( seq id no : 2 ). gggaagcttatctacttgaagttttggtagcccaatgaaatactctcgtaaatctag agttattagtgtaaaccctaaagggatcaaattgtataaatttaaatcccttatgac tttcaattgtagatagactctaatctcgatcatggatgtaactcaatctatttgttgg gtttggggtgattacttcaattcattccattcatagttgtgaatatatttgagagtat ttacgcaaacatttggtgtgtgctatttttcctttggtcttttgttcttcgttgcccat tcgttcgagtttgctttcgctatattttaatgccttagaaaatttttgcgagaattct cattttgtgagagttaagcgaacttagaattattttttttaaaatcgcttaaggctgt atggtctgtgagactaaaattctagtctcgtaacactaatacaatcacaagtaattt acattgttcaagttcttattcacataagcggttggataaagaaaattaaaaaaaaac aatcggatataattacaaaaaaataaattgaaatgtgcaataatacaaataataat tattgctaaaggtaaataaaaaatgtaaataattatcaatgaagtttgaaaccttaa atggtgaagtttgtgtcaactaatagaagaaaaaataaattatttatataactctac taatgtattattttattttgtaaaattgatttatttatattatttctactaaattgatg tggaattagtgatatctacttaattaactatatataattataatgaatctccgggac tgtgactggtcaaagatcataaagtggtatccaataaatttaaaatgcacttgtaaa atattagactcatgatggcactgaggcggaggtgaagaggcggcaaagcacatgga gaagctatatagaaaattctttcacgaaaaaggcaactcttggcttgtgtgttggga attgtgttaagaactggkattatataaaaacaattatatggggaaaggaaatggtcc actgtcaatagtttactataagcaagttggagatataaaattaaatatatattcagt acatatacgagtttgagcaacaaaattagagatcttttttgtcaagttgatatcttc aattttataacgtaaatgttcttttgaaggcaacagtaatgatatatatatatgtag aagaaatttaactaaaaatagataattaggcttaatttaattaattcaagtgcaatt gttttatcataatatatattacattacaaggcttgaattattcatattttaaatttat ttattagttaacaaagtaattattggtgcaaaaataaataaattattaccccattat ctattttcttaaataaaaaaatatattatatatgccatttactctctttaaaaaaatt taatttacaaataaactaataaatttgtatatgatgatttcgaatgagggttttaat acagttatcatgatgatttcaatacaatggttccaaatgaataaggattccactaca acattaaactcaccataatggtgattccaattgagtgttcctacataattatcatcat aattcttacttggcaggatacaaaaaataataatgggtaaggtaattaaaaattaa aataattatcaataaagtttttattatggtgacaaagtttgataatcattattaaatt attaattgagtaaaatatttaaatatagtaatgtatatataatgaatctccggcgat gttggctgttcaaagatcataaaatccaatacatttaaaatgcagctgtaaaatatg atgtgaagggcggataccacacatggagaagccatatagaaatttcttccggtacc atgaaaaaggcgactcttagcttgtgtgttgggaattgtgttaagttatatgggaaa ggaaatattccactgtcaatagtttattataagcaagtgggagaaacaaaattaaat atgttattttgaaggcaacagtaataatataattataaattaaaataacataattta ggcttaatttaattaatggtaaactataaaaaaaagtcatttttgtttgcttcagatt acattttagtcacttatgtttgaaatgttacgttttagtcacttacattaccgttttgt tacgaagtggtcactttaccattaaactctattacctccctaacgacagtcctacgt ggcagtcaaaatgaattttaaatgctaacttggacgtccagttgctgggacattttc cggttcacctacagccacctaatacttaggcgctatatattttcccaaaattattctc cacatttcactcccagagccctccatctatgtagagagctgtaagagagaatataaa aaagggaaagctagctgaggatcgtttgattttggacattttgggatcc [ 0019 ] table iii sequence of a cofs 275 bp cdna fragment ( seq id no : 3 ). ggtcactgtgacgtgccgtggctactgtgaaacgagccgtggctactgtgaacgtgc cgtggctactgtgaacgagccgtggctactgtgaacgtgccgtggctactgtgaacg tgccgtggctactgtgaacgagccgtggtcactgtgatacgtgccgggagttttgtc tctttacctaatgaattgtcaatgcttggtactgtggggccccataccaaacataga tgtacgcctggaatctgttccgaaaaaaaaaaaactgaattccgagt isolation of an anther - specific cdna fragment encoding a cofs sequence expressed in cotton anthers cotton seeds were surface - sterilised with 70 % ethanol for 30 - 60 seconds and 10 % h 2 o 2 for 30 - 60 minutes , followed by washing with sterile water . the seeds were germinated on ½ ms medium at 28 c with 16 hr lighting . cotyledons and hypocotyls were cut from sterile seedlings as transformation explant material . cotton plants were grown in pots for dna and rna extraction . total rna was extracted from young fibres , ovaries , anthers , petals , sepals , leaves and roots of cotton using the guanidinium thiocyanate method or sv total rna isolation system ( promega ). poly ( a ) + rna was purified using oligo ( dt )- cellulose spin columns from an mrna purification kit ( pharmacia biotech ). total rnas from different tissues of cotton were used to reverse - transcribe first - strand cdnas . these cdnas were used as templates in differential display pcr . differential display analysis was carried out with the differential display kit ( clontech ). first - strand cdna was synthesised with 2 μg total rna as starting materials of reverse transcription and oligo ( dt ) as primers at 42 c for 1 hour . reactions of differential display pcr were carried out with an initial cycle consisting of 94 c for 5 minutes , 40 c for 5 minutes and 68 c for 5 minutes , followed by two cycles consisting of 94 c for 2 minutes and 40 c for 5 minutes and 68 c for 5 minutes , and then 25 cycles consisting of 94 c for 1 minute , 60 c for 1 minute and 68 c for 2 minutes , and a final extension at 68 c for 7 minutes . target differential display bands were excised and re - amplified for further analysis . pcr fragments , dna and cdna fragments were sub cloned into vectors , and plasmid dna and phagemid dna prepared with a qiagen plasmid kit were used as templates in pcr reactions . the pcr products were sequenced by autosequencer . cotton cdna was synthesised using a cdna synthesis kit ( stratagene ). cotton cdna libraries were constructed by inserting the cdna fragments into the zap express vector ( stratagene ). reproducible anther - and petal - specific differential display products ( see fig1 ) were targeted for further analysis . the cdnas in each target band were harvested and regenerated by pcr amplification . the isolated cdnas were subsequently sub cloned into a vector and sequenced . to confirm which cdna transcripts specifically accumulated in cotton anthers , cdna expression patterns were analyzed by northern blot hybridization with total rna isolated from cotton fibers , ovules , anthers , petals , sepals , stems , leaves and roots , using probes from the cdna clones . for northern blot analysis , rna samples from different cotton tissues were separated on agarose - formaldehyde gels , and transferred onto hybond - n nylon membranes by capillary blotting . rna northern blots were hybridised in expresshyb solution ( clontech ) at 68 c with 32 p - cdna probes prepared by random labelling ( prime - a - gene labelling system , promega ). after hybridisation , the blots were washed at 68 c in 0 . 1 × ssc , 0 . 5 % sds for 30 - 60 minutes . one clone was identified as a 275 bp cofs cdna fragment ( see table iii ). the cdna fragment was found to share 73 % homology with the acyl - coa synthetase gene ( x94624 ) of brassica napus in a region of 33 amino acids of the open reading frame . northern blot hybridization revealed the cofs cdna transcripts accumulated largely in cotton anthers , and also accumulated more or less in petals , but these transcripts were not detected in rna from fibers , ovules , stems , leaves and roots ( see fig2 ). this result shows that cofs cdna expression is anther - specific in cotton . plant materials from cotton were prepared as in example 1 . tobacco seeds were surface - sterilized with 70 % ethanol for 30 - 60 seconds and 0 . 1 % hgcl 2 for 15 minutes , followed by washing with sterile water . the seeds were germinated on ½ ms medium in light at 28 c , and leaves cut from sterile seedlings were used as experimental materials . total dna was extracted and purified from leaves of cotton and tobacco plants according to the following method . leaf tissues ( z - 4 g ) were thoroughly homogenised in liquid n 2 . the homogenized tissues were placed in a 50 ml tube with 20 ml ice - cold extraction buffer and sedimented at 2500 rpm for 15 minutes . after removing the supernatant , each pellet was resuspended in 10 ml lysis buffer and incubated at 65 c for 30 minutes . ten milliliters chloroform was added to each tube and mixed with the samples . the samples then were sedimented at 3500 rpm for 10 minutes . the supernatant was transferred to a clean tube , and chloroform extraction was repeated once more . the supernatant was transferred to a clean tube , and 0 . 6 volume isopropanol was added to each tube for dna precipitation . after centrifuging at 3500 rpm for 30 minutes , the dna was washed with 70 % ethanol . the isolated genomic dna was then dissolved in sterile water for use . cotton genomic dna libraries were constructed from leaves of cotton plants . dna was partially digested with bamh i , and the dna fragments were cloned in the bamh i site of zap express vector ( stratagene ). the cotton genomic dna libraries were screened using cofs gene fragments isolated by genome walk pcr as probes . genome walker libraries were constructed using the universal genome walker kit ( clontech ). genomic dna from leaves of cotton plants was digested with five restriction enzymes respectively , purified by phenol / chloroform extraction and precipitated in ethanol . the digested dna was ligated to genome walker adaptors . two genome walker polymerase chain reactions were carried out successively : 1 μl of each genome walker dna library was used as the templates in the primary pcr , and the primary pcr products were used as templates in the secondary pcr . the pcr was started at 95 c for 1 minute , followed by 35 cycles of 95 c for 15 seconds and 68 c for 4 minutes and a final extension at 68 c for 6 minutes . target pcr bands were purified using a geneclean kit ( bio 101 ). the screens revealed two cofs gene positive clones . one clone contained a 4 . 801 kb cotton cofs gene region , and the other contained a 3 . 913 kb cotton dna fragment covering part of cofs promoter region . three cofs promoter fragments ( 0 . 7 , 1 . 4 and 2 . 6 kb , respectively ) were isolated from the cotton genome walker libraries . the complete cofs gene isolated from cotton was 8 . 4 kb in length , including a 2 . 6 kb promoter region . the sequences are provided in tables i and ii . to characterize the function of the cofs promoter in anther - specific expression of the cofs gene , a 0 . 7 kb fragment , a 1 . 4 kb fragment and a 2 . 5 kb fragment of the cofs promoter were fused with the gus coding sequence in the gene expression vector pbi121 ( replacing the camv35s promoter ), respectively . see fig3 . vectors were constructed as follows . a hind iii site and a bamh i site were created by pcr at the 5 ′- end and 3 ′- end of the 0 . 7 , 1 . 4 and 2 . 4 kb cofs promoter fragments respectively . the hind iii / bamh i fragment was initially sub cloned into pgem - t vector ( promega ). plasmid dna containing the cofs promoter fragments was digested with hind iii and bamh i , and the digested fragment was isolated by agarose gel electrophoresis . three chimeric cofs promoter / gus constructs were generated by insertion of the 0 . 7 , 1 . 4 or 2 . 4 kb fragment , respectively , replacing the camv 35s promoter , into the hind iii / bamh i sites of pbi121 vector . the cofs promoter / gus fusion gene constructs were used to transform tobacco by agrobacterium - mediated gene transfer , using the pbi121 vector containing a camv35s promoter / gus fusion protein as a positive control . the camv35s promoter is a constitutive promoter , active in all plant tissues . odell et al ., nature 313 : 810 - 812 , 1985 ; ow et al ., proc . natl . acad . sci . usa 84 : 4870 - 4874 , 1987 ; mccabe and martinell , biotechnol . 11 : 596 - 598 , 1993 . the binary vectors containing cofs promoter / gus fusion genes were transferred into agrobacterium tumefaciens strain lba 4404 . tobacco transformations were carried out using the leaf - disc method ( horsch , et al ., 1985 ). tobacco leaves were cut into pieces about 2 × 2 cm , and immersed in the agrobacteria suspension for five minutes . the infected tobacco explants were cultivated on ms medium with 1 mg / l 6 - ba for 48 hours at 28 c and transferred onto selection ms medium containing 100 mg / l kanamycin and 1 mg / l 6 - ba for 20 - 30 days . kanamycin - resistant ( transformed ) shoots were selected . the transformed shoots were cut from the calli and rooted on ms medium with 50 - 100 mg / l kanamycin . the transformed tobacco plants were transplanted to soil for growing to maturity . transgenic tobacco plants possessing the chimeric cofs promoter / gus gene ( or 35s / gus gene ), and negative control , non - transformed plants were analyzed by dna southern blot hybridization and by gus histochemical assay . for southern blot analysis , total genomic dna from the transgenic tobacco leaves was digested with restriction enzymes , separated on agarose gels , and transferred onto hybond - n nylon membranes by capillary blotting . dna southern blots were hybridized in expresshyb solution ( clontech ) at 68 c with 32 p - dna probes prepared by random labelling ( promega prime - a - gene labelling system ). after hybridization , the blots were washed at 68 c in 0 . 1 × ssc , 0 . 5 % sds for 30 - 60 minutes . the 32 p - labelled nylon membranes were exposed to x - ray film at - 70 c for autoradiograph . see fig4 for the results . histochemical assays for gus activity in transgenic tobacco plants were conducted according to a protocol described previously , jefferson , plant mol . biol . rep . 5 : 387 - 405 , 1987 , with some modifications . fresh tissues from the plants were incubated in x - gluc ( 5 - bromo - 4 - chloro - 3 - indolylglucuronide ) solution consisting of 0 . 1 m sodium phosphate ( ph 7 . 0 ), 10 mm ethylene diaminetetraacetic acid ( edta ), 0 . 5 mm potassium ferrocyanide and 0 . 1 % x - gluc ( clontech chemical ) overnight . the stained plant materials were then cleared and fixed by rinsing with 100 % and 70 % ethanol successively , and the samples were examined and photographed directly or under a microscope . see fig5 . the results of southern blot analysis demonstrated that cofs promoter / gus gene was integrated into the tobacco 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