A/T-rich sequences act as quantitative enhancers of gene expression in transgenic tobacco and potato plants

The role of an A/T-rich positive regulatory region (P268, -444 to -177 from the translation start site) of the pea plastocyanin gene (PetE) promoter has been investigated in transgenic plants containing chimeric promoters fused to the β-glucuronidase (GUS) reporter gene. This region enhanced GUS expression in leaves of transgenic tobacco plants when fused in either orientation to a minimal pea PetE promoter (-176 to +4) and in roots when fused in either orientation upstream or downstream of a minimal cauliflower mosaic virus 35S promoter (-90 to +5). The region was also able to enhance GUS expression in microtubers of transgenic potato plants when placed in either orientation upstream of a minimal class I patatin promoter (-332 to +14). Dissection of P268 revealed that cis elements responsible for enhancing GUS expression from the minimal PetE promoter were distributed throughout P268. Multiple copies of a 31 bp A/T-rich sequence from within P268 and of a 26 bp random A/T sequence were able to enhance GUS expression from the minimal PetE promoter, indicating that A/T-rich sequences are able to act as quantitative, non-tissue-specific enhancer elements in higher plants. Abbreviations: CaMV, cauliflower mosaic virus; GUS, β-glucuronidase; HMG, high-mobility group; MAR, matrix-associated region; MU, methylumbelliferone; SAR, scaffold-associated region.