Molecular mechanisms of herbicide-inducible gene expression of tobacco CYP71AH11 metabolizing the herbicide chlorotoluron

• Expression of tobacco CYP71AH11 was enhanced by the herbicide bromoxynil.
• ROS generation seemed to be partially involved in bromoxynil-activated expression of CYP71AH11.
• The sequences AAAAAG, and GAACAAAC and GAAAATTC were important for response to bromoxynil.
• The nuclear proteins of <30 and ≈75 kDa bound to two sequences AANAAG and GAANAWWC, respectively.

Tobacco cytochrome P450 (CYP) 71AH11 metabolized the herbicide chlorotoluron, and its mRNA level was increased in tobacco culture cells by the treatment of 2,4-D. In order to clarify molecular mechanisms of induced gene expression of CYP71AH11 by herbicide treatment, a 1574-bp 5′-flanking region of CYP71AH11 was cloned, ligated to the reporter β-glucuronidase (GUS) gene, and then transformed into tobacco plants. The GUS activity in the transgenic tobacco plants was highly induced by bromoxynil treatment, followed by 2,4-D. Chlorotoluron was slightly increased the GUS activity. The bromoxynil-increased GUS activity was partially repressed by the antioxidants, suggesting that reactive oxygen species may be involved in activation of the 5′-flanking region of CYP71AH11 by bromoxynil treatment. Deletion and mutation assays showed that the region CD (−1281 to −770 bp from the start codon of CYP71AH11) was important, but not sufficient, for response to bromoxynil. Electrophoretic mobility shift assays and southwestern blotting revealed that the sequences AAAAAG, and GAACAAAC and GAAAATTC in the CD region were important for interaction to the nuclear proteins of <30 and ≈75 kDa, respectively. Particularly, interaction between AAAAAG and <30 kDa proteins was increased by bromoxynil treatment. These results gave a cue for understanding the bromoxynil-induced gene expression of CYP71AH11, which may contribute to herbicide tolerance and selectivity in crop plants.

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