Molecular cloning and characterization of Cinnamoyl‐CoA reductase promoter gene from Asarum sieboldii Miq

Abstract

Asarum sieboldii Miq., a perennial herb of the family Aristolochiaceae, is widely used in China to treat cold, fever, aphthous stomatitis, toothache, gingivitis, and rheumatoid arthritis. Methyleugenol is the most representative pharmacological constituent of this medicinal herb. Cinnamoyl‐CoA reductase (CCR), which has been well known for occupying a critical position in the lignin biosynthesis pathway, is also shared with the biosynthesis of methyleugenol. To better understand the regulatory mechanisms of methyleugenol biosynthesis, a 1530‐bp long promoter region of the AsCCR1 gene was isolated. PLACE and PlantCARE analysis affirmed the existence of the core promoter elements such as TATA and CAAT boxes, abiotic stress‐responsive cis‐regulation elements like abscisic acid‐responsive element, G‐box, and MBS in the isolated sequence. The histochemical assay suggested that it was a constitutive promoter, highly expressed in the root tissue. Moreover, the region of −200 bp to ATG (start codon) was enough to drive the expression of It GUS gene. Treatments with low temperature and high concentration of gibberellin or abscisic acid demonstrated the abiotic stress‐induced expression of the AsCCR1 promoter. Overall, this study revealed the isolation and characterization of the AsCCR1 promoter. Moreover, it also provided a candidate gene for molecular breeding in A. sieboldii to enhance its pharmacological potential.