The pathogen-inducible promoter of defense-related LsGRP1 gene from Lilium functioning in phylogenetically distinct species of plants

Abstract A suitable promoter greatly enhances the efficiency of target gene expression of plant molecular breeding and farming; however, only very few promoters are available for economically important non-graminaceous ornamental monocots. In this study, an 868-bp upstream region of defense-related LsGRP1 of Lilium , named P LsGRP1 , was cloned by genome walking and proven to exhibit promoter activity in Nicotiana benthamiana and Lilium ‘Stargazer’ as assayed by agroinfiltration-based β-glucuronidase (GUS) expression system. Many putative biotic stress-, abiotic stress- and physiological regulation-related cis -acting elements were found in P LsGRP1 . Serial deletion analysis of P LsGRP1 performed in Nicotiana tabacum var. Wisconsin 38 accompanied with types of treatments indicated that 868-bp P LsGRP1 was highly induced upon pathogen challenges and cold stress while the 131-bp 3′-end region of P LsGRP1 could be dramatically induced by many kinds of abiotic stresses, biotic stresses and phytohormone treatments. Besides, transient GUS expression in a fern, gymnosperms, monocots and dicots revealed good promotor activity of P LsGRP1 in many phylogenetically distinct plant species. Thus, pathogen-inducible P LsGRP1 and its 131-bp 3′-end region are presumed potential as tools for plant molecular breeding and farming.