Differential expression within a three-gene subfamily encoding a plasma membrane H(+)-ATPase in Nicotiana plumbaginifolia.

Genomic and cDNA clones for the three members of a gene subfamily (pma) encoding a plasma membrane H(+)-translocating ATPase in Nicotiana plumbaginifolia were isolated and sequenced. They are between 95 and 96% identical at the deduced amino acid sequence level. Sequence comparisons with the corresponding tomato genes (Ewing, N.N., Wimmers, L.E., Meyer, D.J., Chetelat, R.T., and Bennett, A.B. (1990) Plant Physiol. 94, 1874-1881) indicate that divergence among the three N. plumbaginifolia pma genes occurred before the development of the Solanaceae family. Here, determination of pma1 transcription initiation sites reveals several 5' boundaries located 266 to 120 nucleotides upstream from the plasma membrane H(+)-ATPase translation initiation codon. The 5'-untranslated region contains a small open reading frame, 9 residues long. pma3 has a single, 264-nucleotide long 5' leader containing a 5-residue open reading frame. The latter is completely conserved in a corresponding tomato gene. These features suggest the possibility of translational regulation of plant pma genes. S1 nuclease protection assays on total cellular RNA isolated from different organs reveals that all three genes are expressed in leaf, stem, flower, and root tissues, albeit at different levels according to the organ and gene. The different genes for the plant H(+)-translocating ATPase are thus subject to differential regulation of transcription, possibly related to specific aspects of enzyme function.