Regulatory sequence

Abstract

The present invention relates to the field of plant molecular biology. In particular, it describes the use of a regulatory nucleic acid sequence of the rice gene GOS2 for the regulation of gene expression in plant cells derived from plants other than monocotyledonous plants. The use of the regulatory sequence of the present invention results in constitutive expression with expression levels similar to that of CaMV 35S. The present invention also relates to vectors and host cells comprising these nucleic acid sequences. The invention further relates to transgenic cells and plants comprising these sequences and to methods for obtaining such cells and plants.

1 . A method for expressing in a non-monocotyledonous plant or plant cell a nucleic acid operably linked to a regulatory sequence, wherein said regulatory sequence comprises a functional fragment of SEQ ID NO:1, or a functional variant of SEQ ID NO:1, wherein said functional variant hybridizes to SEQ ID NO:1 under stringent conditions, said method comprising the introduction of said nucleic acid operably linked to said regulatory sequence into a non-monocotyledonous plant or plant cell, and wherein said regulatory sequence drives expression of said nucleic acid. 
     
     
         2 . A method for expressing an endogenous nucleic acid in a non-monocotyledonous plant or plant cell, which method comprises introducing into this plant or plant cell a regulatory sequence comprising a functional fragment of SEQ ID NO:1, or a functional variant of SEQ ID NO:1, wherein said functional variant hybridizes to SEQ ID NO:1 under stringent conditions, such that the regulatory sequence is operably linked to said endogenous nucleic acid sequence, and wherein said regulatory sequence drives expression of said endogenous nucleic acid. 
     
     
         3 . A non-monocotyledonous plant cell comprising or having a functional fragment or a functional variant of SEQ ID NO:1, stably integrated into its genome, wherein said functional variant hybridizes to SEQ ID NO:1 under stringent conditions. 
     
     
         4 . A non-monocotyledonous plant cell according to  claim 3 , wherein said non-monocotyledonous plant cell is a fodder or forage legume cell, an ornamental plant cell, a food crop cell, a tree cell or a shrub cell. 
     
     
         5 . A plant cell culture, callus or a plant comprising a plant cell according to  claim 3 . 
     
     
         6 . A harvestable part, organ, tissue or transformed propagation material of the plant cell culture, callus or plant according to  claim 5 . 
     
     
         7 . Method for expression of a nucleic acid in a non-monocotyledonous plant or plant cell, said method comprising introducing into said plant or plant cell a regulatory sequence comprising or a functional fragment or functional variant of SEQ ID NO:1, wherein said regulatory sequence is operably linked to said nucleic acid which is either an isolated or an endogenous nucleic acid, and wherein said regulatory sequence drives expression of said nucleic acid. 
     
     
         8 . A non-monocotyledonous plant cell according to  claim 4 , wherein said non-monocotyledonous plant cell is a cotton cell, a potato cell, a tomato cell, a cabbage cell, a sugar beet cell, a soybean cell, a bean cell, a sunflower cell or a pea cell. 
     
     
         9 . The method according to  claim 1  wherein said stringent conditions comprise hybridization at a temperature of between 60° C. and 65° C. in 0.3 strength citrate buffer saline containing 0.1% SDS followed by rinsing at the same temperature with 0.3 strength citrate buffer saline containing 0.1% SDS. 
     
     
         10 . The method according to  claim 2  wherein said stringent conditions comprise hybridization at a temperature of between 60° C. and 65° C. in 0.3 strength citrate buffer saline containing 0.1% SDS followed by rinsing at the same temperature with 0.3 strength citrate buffer saline containing 0.1% SDS. 
     
     
         11 . The non-monocotyledonous plant cell according to  claim 3  wherein said stringent conditions comprise hybridization at a temperature of between 60° C. and 65° C. in 0.3 strength citrate buffer saline containing 0.1% SDS followed by rinsing at the same temperature with 0.3 strength citrate buffer saline containing 0.1% SDS.