Requirement of a CCGAC cis-acting element for cold induction of the BN115 gene from winter Brassica napus

Abstract

Mutation of the core pentamer, CCGAC, of two putative low temperature responsive elements (LTREs) in the 5′-proximal region of the winter Brassica napus cold-induced gene BN115 was carried out. Analyses of transient expression of the resultant mutated BN115 promoter-GUS fusions revealed the loss of low-temperature regulation by the promoter. This indicates that the CCGAC sequence is critical to the low-temperature response in the BN115 gene. In contrast, mutation of two G-boxes, CACGTG, staggered between the LTREs in the same region of the promoter did not alter cold-inducible gene expression. Replacement of a possible enhancer region of the BN115 promoter with the enhancer from the CaMV 35S promoter resulted in a several-fold increase in low temperature-induced GUS activity.