An atpE-specific promoter within the coding region of the atpB gene in tobacco chloroplast DNA.

The atpB and atpE genes encode beta and epsilon subunits, respectively, of chloroplast ATP synthase and are co-transcribed in the plant species so far studied. In tobacco, an atpB gene-specific probe hybridizes to 2.7- and 2.3-kb transcripts. In addition to these, a probe from the atpE coding region hybridizes also to a 1.0-kb transcript. The 5' end of the atpE-specific transcript has been mapped 430/431 nt upstream of the atpE translation initiation site, within the coding region of the atpB gene. In-vitro capping revealed that this transcript results from a primary transcriptional event and is also characterized by -10 and -35 canonical sequences in the 5' region. It has been found to share a common 3' end with the bi-cistronic transcripts that has been mapped within the coding region of the divergently transcribed trnM gene, approximately 236 nt downstream from the atpE termination codon. Interestingly, this transcript accumulates only in leaves and not in proplastid-containing cultured (BY-2) cells, indicating that, unless it is preferentially degraded in BY-2 cells, its expression might be transcriptionally controlled.