THE SOYBEAN GH2 4 GENE THAT ENCODES A GLUTATHIONE-S-TRANSFERASE HAS APROMOTER THAT IS ACTIVATED BY A WIDE-RANGE OF CHEMICAL-AGENTS/

Transcriptional activation of the soybean (Glycine max) GH2/4 gene (al so referred to as Gmhsp 26-A) and increase in abundance of the GH2/4 m RNA (also referred to as pCE54) have been previously shown to occur fo llowing treatment of soybean seedlings with auxins, nonauxin analogs, heavy metals, and a variety of other agents. To determine whether the GH2/4 promoter is responsive to an array of different agents, we have analyzed the inducibility of the GH2/4 promoter fused to the P-glucuro nidase reporter gene in transgenic tobacco (Nicotiana tabacum) plants. We have shown that a wide variety of chemical agents induce this prom oter in a tissue-specific and concentration-dependent manner. In addit ion, we have used an affinity-purified antibody raised against recombi nant GH2/4 protein to show that the GH2/4 protein increases in respons e to auxin application and is localized in the cytosol of soybean cell s. Recombinant GH2/4 protein can be purified to homogeneity on a gluta thione-agarose resin, and the purified protein has glutathione S-trans ferase activity when assayed with the substrate 1-chloro-2,4-dinitrobe nzene.