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Expression analysis suggests novel roles for members of the Pht1 family of phosphate transporters in Arabidopsis
Author(s) -
Mudge Stephen R.,
Rae Anne L.,
Diatloff Eugene,
Smith Frank W.
Publication year - 2002
Publication title -
the plant journal
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 3.058
H-Index - 269
eISSN - 1365-313X
pISSN - 0960-7412
DOI - 10.1046/j.1365-313x.2002.01356.x
Subject(s) - gene , gene family , arabidopsis thaliana , biology , arabidopsis , reporter gene , phosphate , gene expression , gus reporter system , promoter , genetics , microbiology and biotechnology , biochemistry , mutant
Summary The completion of the Arabidopsis thaliana genome has revealed that there are nine members of the Pht1 family of phosphate transporters in this species. As a step towards identifying the role of this gene family in phosphorus nutrition, we have isolated the promoter regions from each of these genes, and fused them to the reporter genes β‐glucuronidase and/or green fluorescent protein. These chimeric genes have been introduced into A. thaliana , and reporter gene expression has been assayed in plants grown in soil containing high and low concentrations of inorganic phosphate (Pi). Four of these promoters were found to direct reporter gene expression in the root epidermis, and were induced under conditions of phosphate deprivation in a manner similar to previously characterised Pht1 genes. Other members of this family, however, showed expression in a range of shoot tissues and in pollen grains, which was confirmed by RT‐PCR. We also provide evidence that the root epidermally expressed genes are expressed most strongly in trichoblasts, the primary sites for uptake of Pi. These results suggest that this gene family plays a wider role in phosphate uptake and remobilisation throughout the plant than was previously believed.