A choline monooxygenase gene promoter from Salicornia europaea increases expression of the beta-glucuronidase gene under abiotic stresses in tobacco (Nicotiana tabacum L.).

A 1312 bp 5' flanking region of Salicornia europaea choline monooxygenase (SeCMO) gene was isolated using the anchored PCR. To investigate the mechanism of regulation for this stress-induced gene, the SeCMO promoter-beta-glucuronidase (GUS) chimeric gene constructs containing five deletions F1, F2, F3, F4 and F5 were introduced into tobacco (Nicotiana tabacum L.) by Agrobacterium-mediated transformation. The functional properties of each promoter fragment were examined by assaying GUS activity in the leaves of transgenic tobacco treated with abiotic stresses (NaCl, PEG6000 and low temperature). The GUS activity in transgenic tobacco with F2 (-1056 to +8) construct showed highest increase under all the three abiotic stresses. Thus, the study provided a potential promoter induced by the salt, dehydration and cold for the plant genetic manipulation.