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Forcing expression of a soybean root glutamine synthetase gene in tobacco leaves induces a native gene encoding cytosolic enzyme

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Abstract

Glutamine synthetase (GS; EC 6.3.1.2) is present in different subcellular compartments in plants. It is located in the cytoplasm in root and root nodules while generally present in the chloroplasts in leaves. The expression of GS gene(s) is enhanced in root nodules and in soybean roots treated with ammonia. We have isolated four genes encoding subunits of cytosolic GS from soybean (Glycine max L. cv. Prize). Promoter analysis of one of these genes (GS15) showed that it is expressed in a root-specific manner in transgenic tobacco and Lotus corniculatus, but is induced by ammonia only in the legume background. Making the GS15 gene expression constitutive by fusion with the CaMV-35S promoter led to the expression of GS in the leaves of transgenic tobacco plants. The soybean GS was functional and was located in the cytoplasm in tobacco leaves where this enzyme is not normally present. Forcing this change in the location of GS caused concomitant induction of the mRNA for a native cytosolic GS in the leaves of transgenic tobacco. Shifting the subcellular location of GS in transgenic plants apparently altered the nitrogen metabolism and forced the induction in leaves of a native GS gene encoding a cytosolic enzyme. The latter is normally expressed only in the root tissue of tobacco. This phenomenon may suggest a hitherto uncharacterized metabolic control on the expression of certain genes in plants.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Laboratoire du Métabolisme et de la Nutrition des Plantes, C.N.R.A., route de St. Cyr, 78000, Versailles, France

    Bertrand Hirel & Marie C. Marsolier

  2. Center for Plant Molecular Biology, McGill University, Montreal, Canada

    Renate Schafer & Desh Pal S. Verma

  3. Biotechnology Center, Ohio State University, 1060 Carmack Road, 43210, Columbus, OH, USA

    Desh Pal S. Verma

  4. U.R.A. au C.N.R.S. n° 1128, Université de Paris Sud, Orsay, France

    Bertrand Hirel, Marie C. Marsolier, Anne Hoarau, Jackson Hoarau & Judy Brangeon

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  1. Bertrand Hirel
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  2. Marie C. Marsolier
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  3. Anne Hoarau
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  5. Judy Brangeon
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  6. Renate Schafer
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  7. Desh Pal S. Verma
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Hirel, B., Marsolier, M.C., Hoarau, A. et al. Forcing expression of a soybean root glutamine synthetase gene in tobacco leaves induces a native gene encoding cytosolic enzyme. Plant Mol Biol 20, 207–218 (1992). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00014489

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00014489

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