Response of chavicol O-methyltransferase gene promoter of Ocimum basilicum to drought stress

Methyl chavicol, a volatile phenylpropenes, is a part of defense system of Ocimum species. The final step in the biosynthesis of methyl chavicol is catalyzed by the chavicol O-methyltransferase (CVOMT) enzyme. Understanding the transcriptional regulation of the gene encoding this rate-limiting enzyme is an important key in metabolite engineering approaches. A ۶۱۶ bp- upstream fragment of the ObCVOMT gene has been obtained from Ocimum basilicum genome using genome walking technology and cloned into the upstream of the β-glucuronidase (GUS) reporter gene to determine the GUS water stress-specific expression pattern. The transgenic tobacco showed that pObCVOMT drive GUS reporter gene special expression in different water stress levels. The in silico analysis of cis-acting elements also revealed pObCVOMT promoter contained transcription factor-binding sequences involved in transcriptional control in drought- or dehydration-response.

کلیدواژه ها:

chavicol O-methyltransferase gene ، Ocimum basilicum ، gene regulation ، drought stress.