Functional analysis of drought-induced oslea3 promoter isolated from batutegi rice cultivar

Abstract

Drought is the most significant environmental stress in agriculture and many efforts have been made to improve crop productivity under water-limiting conditions. Improving yield under drought is a major goal of plant breeding. Late embryogenesis abundant (LEA) proteins have been implicated in many stress responses of plants. It has been found that LEA genes are a gene family and play important roles in the protection of water stress. Expression of OsLEA3 is induced by abiotic stresses, including drought and high salinity. The promoter of OsLEA3 was cloned from Batutegi, Rojolele and Nipponbare cultivars and its function was analyzed in transgenic Nipponbare plant by a GUS reporter gene. Transient assay was conducted in order to investigate GUS expression driven by OsLEA3 promoter. OsLEA3 promoter was expressed in embryogenic callus indicated by the appearance of blue spots. Differences in color produced in embryogenic callus showed different expression level.