Investigating the expression pattern of the OsAPx1 gene promoter in rice

Background Ascorbate peroxidase (APx) is a key enzyme of the antioxidant metabolism, catalyzing the decomposition of hydrogen peroxide (H2O2) in water, using ascorbate as an electron donor. The H2O2 is a reactive oxygen species (ROS) produced constantly by aerobic metabolism. Under biotic and abiotic stress the level of H2O2 increases and, in large quantities, can cause cellular damage. In rice, there are eight APx genes that encode products target to different subcellular compartments: cytosol, peroxisoma, mitochondria and chloroplast. OsAPx1 gene encodes a cytosolic isoform of APx. The study of promoters is an important tool that allows to analyze the overall expression pattern of genes in plants.