A Super-strong Guard Cell Promoter (Case #2005-027)

Technology Description

UCSD investigators have identified a guard cell-specific promoter that drives higher levels of expression than any other promoter in guard cells. Plant guard cells control CO2 uptake and water loss and are critically important for drought tolerance.This promoter has strength and specificity allowing effective transgene expression or silencing.Compared with other well-known guard cell promoters, this super-strong guard cell promoter is around 20 times stronger.Compared with the commonly used universal strong cauliflower mosaic virus 35S promoter, this super-strong guard cell promoter drives much higher expression of reporter genes specifically in guard cells with a minimum background expression in the surrounding cells.

Applications

The regulation of stomata openings could help plants resist drought or help them become less susceptible to drought stress.  This promoter can be used for engineering water loss from crop plants during drought periods.

Patent Status