• Molecules and Cells
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• v.26 no.2
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• pp.131-139
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• 2008

Expression of the seven open reading frames (ORFs) of single-stranded DNA Curtoviruses such as Beet curly top virus (BCTV) and Beet severe curly top virus (BSCTV) is driven by a bi-directional promoter. To investigate this bidirectional promoter activity with respect to viral late gene expression, transgenic Arabidopsis plants expressing a GUS reporter gene under the control of either the BCTV or BSCTV bi-directional promoter were constructed. Transgenic plants harboring constructs showed higher expression levels when the promoter of the less virulent BCTV was used than when the promoter of the more virulent BSCTV was used. In transgenic seedlings, the reporter gene constructs were expressed primarily in actively dividing tissues such as root tips and apical meristems. As the transgenic plants matured, reporter gene expression diminished but viral infection of mature transgenic plants restored reporter gene expression, particularly in transgenic plants containing BCTV virion-sense gene promoter constructs. A 30 base pair conserved late element (CLE) motif was identified that was present three times in tandem in the BCTV promoter and once in that of BSCTV. Progressive deletion of these repeats from the BCTV promoter resulted in decreased reporter gene expression, but BSCTV promoters in which one or two extra copies of this motif were inserted did not exhibit increased late gene promoter activity. These results demonstrate that Curtovirus late gene expression by virion-sense promoters depends on the developmental stage of the host plant as well as on the number of CLE motifs present in the promoter.

• Molecules and Cells
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• v.23 no.1
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• pp.80-87
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• 2007

Beet curly top virus (BCTV) and Beet severe curly top virus (BSCTV), members of curtoviruses, encode seven open reading frames (ORFs) within a ~3 kb genome. One of these viral ORFs, C1, is known to play an important role in the early stage of viral infection in plants during initiation of viral DNA replication. We used promoter:: reporter (${\beta}$-glucuronidase) gene fusions in transgenic Arabidopsis to identify the putative promoter region of BCTV ORF C1. Unlike other geminiviruses, the intergenic region of BCTV was not sufficient to promote C1 expression in transgenic plants. When sequences extending into the coding region of C1 were tested, strong expression of the reporter protein was observed in vascular tissues of transgenic plants. This expression was not dependent on the presence of the intergenic regions or proximal 5' portions of the C1 coding region. Transgenic plants expressing a reporter gene under control of the putative complete C1 promoter were inoculated with virus to determine if any viral transcript affected C1 expression. Virus inoculated plants did not show any altered pattern or change in of reporter gene expression level. These results suggest that (1) important transcriptional activator elements for C1 expression reside in the 3' portion of C1 coding area itself, (2) C1 protein does not auto-regulate its own expression and (3) C1 expression of two curtoviruses is controlled differently compared to other geminiviruses.