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Mutational analysis of the rolA gene of Agrobacterium rhizogenes in tobacco: function of the rolA pre-mRNA intron and rolA proteins defective in their biological activity

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  01 February 1997

A. SPENA
Affiliation:
Department of Agricultural & Industrial Biotechnology, Faculty of Science, University of Verona, Strada Le Grazie, 37134 Verona, Italy
K. LANGENKEMPER
Affiliation:
MPI für Züchtungsforschung, Carl-von-Linne' weg 10, Cologne, Germany
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Abstract

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The rolA gene of Agrobacterium rhizogenes contains in its untranslated leader region a spliceosomal intron, which is spliced in Arabidopsis and in Nicotiana tabacum. Expression under the control of the 35S promoter from cauliflower mosaic virus of a rolA gene derivative defective in splicing still causes alterations of growth in transgenic tobacco plants. Splicing of rolA mRNA is required for efficient expression of the rolA phenotype in vivo. Moreover, splicing is required for efficient in vitro translation of the rolA mRNA. In contrast, expression of a 35S-rolA gene derivative with the ATG initiation codon replaced by ATA does not cause any phenotypical alteration. Mutations leading to amino acid substitutions at positions 37 and 40 of the rolA coding region were isolated as null mutants in Arabidopsis plants transgenic for the rolA gene. However, when expressed in tobacco under the control of the 35S promoter, they cause a rolA phenotype reduced in the expressivity of its traits. The molecular characterization of rolA mutants might be useful for understanding the biochemical function of the rolA protein.

Type
Research Article
Copyright
© 1997 Cambridge University Press