ACTIVITY OF CONSTITUTIVE PROMOTERS IN VARIOUS SPECIES FROM THE LILIACEAE

In this paper we first review literature on the performance of various promoters in monocotyledonous species. In general, promoters isolated from monocots show a higher activity in monocot species. Moreover, th e presence of an intron between the promoter and reporter gene increas es transcription levels. We used the same approach to study gene expre ssion in Liliaceae. The activities of the CaMV 35S, maize Adh1-based p Emu, rice Act1 and maize Ubi promoters, coupled to the beta-glucuronid ase (gus) reporter gene, were evaluated for transient gene expression upon particle bombardment of tissues of tobacco, rice, tulip, lily and leek. Although monocot promoters performed very well in rice tissues, the results of this study show that this cannot be generalized for ot her monocot species. The transcription inducing effects of monocot pro moters were less pronounced or even absent in tissues of Liliaceae, wh ile the presence of an intron between promoter and gus gene reduced pr omoter activity.