A 395 bp fragment located downstream from the soybean heat shock gene Gmhsp 17.6-L exhibits several characteristics of scaffold attachment region (SAR) sequences. It contains matrix consensus elements, a topoisomerase II binding sequence and it associates with the isolated nuclear scaffold of soybean in vitro. Chimaeric genes containing the SARL fragment either at one side (5' or 3') or at both sides of a heat shock promoter-regulated beta-glucuronidase reporter gene were constructed. A five- to nine-fold increase of heat-inducible beta-glucuronidase activity was observed in transgenic tobacco plants containing constructs with SARL fragments either at both sides or with at least one SARL copy located upstream from the reporter gene. The gene copy number is positively correlated with the level of heat-inducible reporter gene activity in these plants but positional effects are not entirely eliminated. Thus, SAR sequences may potentially be used to increase gene expression, via as yet unknown mechanisms, and to reduce adverse effects on the expression of multiple gene copies in transgenic plants.

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A nodule-specific cDNA was isolated from a Vicia faba L. nodule cDNA library. Since time course experiments revealed an early expression of this transcript in the nodule, this cDNA coded for an early nodulin and was designated VfENOD-GRP3. Based on tissue print hybridizations, we found a predominant expression of VfENOD-GRP3 transcripts in the interzone II-III region of broad bean root nodules. The encoded early nodulin ENOD-GRP3 was characterized by an N-terminal signal peptide and a C-terminal domain displaying a glycine content of 31%. Sequence analysis of a genomic VfENOD-GRP3 clone revealed that the signal peptide and the glycine-rich domain were specified by two separate exons. Primer extension experiments identified two adjacent transcription start sites for VfENOD-GRP3 transcripts. The common nodulin sequences 'AAAGAT' and 'CTCTT' were present five and three times on both DNA strands of the putative VfENOD-GRP3 promoter, respectively. Additionally, three sequence motifs resembling organ-specific elements of the soybean lbc3 gene promoter and a sequence similar to the binding site 1 for the nodule trans-acting factor Nat2 were identified. From Southern blot data and from sequence analysis of genomic PCR fragments, the presence of a VfENOD-GRP3 gene family was inferred. By PCR experiments using sequence-specific primers and DNA of microisolated chromosomes as a template, this family was located on the long arm of chromosome I.

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~Nodulin gene transcripts isolated from a broad bean (Vicia faba 1.) root nodule cDNA library and designated VfNOD32 are detectable in the nitrogen-fixing zone III of nodules and in much smaller amounts in flowers. In nodules, these transcripts are detectable for the first time 7 d after inoculation, at least 1 d before leghemoglobin gene transcription starts. Two putative full-length cDNAs representing different transcript sequences of 92.5% identity were sequenced. The corresponding broad bean genes were termed VfNOD32-A1 and VfNOD32-A2, and the encoded proteins were termed Nvf32-A1 and Nvf32-A2. The derived amino acid sequences of the Nvf32 proteins are highly homologous to the Vicia narbonensis (cu/P),-barrel seed protein narbonin. Considering this homology, Nvf32 is assumed to have a similar structure consisting of p-sheets forming a central barrel surrounded by a-helices. The two Nvf32 sequences also contain two conserved amino acid motifs that are characteristic of class-lll chitinases. Severa1 amino acids demonstrated to be essential for chitinase activity are conserved in both regions, whereas one essential glutamic acid was changed to glycine in the Nvf32-A1 isoform but not in the Nvf32-A2 isoform.