Isolation of the Cotton GhTCP2 Gene Promoter and Analysis of its Expression in Young Tissues

Expression of the cotton GhTCP2 gene,a member of the TCP family,was detected by RT-PCR in young tissues,such as apical,lateral,and floral buds,of cotton plants.To study GhTCP2 gene expression patterns in detail,the GhTCP2 promoter region was isolated using the genome walking technique.Many cis-regulatory motifs related to the cell cycle,cytokinin,and auxin were identified using the on-line software program PLACE.The GhTCP2 promoter was inserted upstream of the GUS reporter gene,and the resulting plant expression construct was transformed into Arabidopsis.Histological staining of transgenic Arabidopsis plants revealed that the GhTCP2 promoter-driven GUS gene was expressed in root tips,young leaves,and apical,lateral,and floral buds.This result indicates that the cotton GhTCP2 promoter is able to drive foreign gene expression in young plant tissues.The GhTCP2 promoter has the potential to be utilized in plant insect-resistance genetic engineering to protect young plant tissue from insect attack.