|
Research
Link 2000 Home Page
Research System Home
Page
|
|
Main Page
Image from University of Minnesota's About Arabidopsis thaliana web site
We present a series of investigative laboratories using transgenic plants for the introductory biology curriculum. The transgenic plants to be used in these laboratories contain an uidA (gus A) reporter gene under the control of various promoters that respond to different environmental or developmental signals. Following induction by these environmental or developmental signals, the gusA gene will respond by producing the enzyme ß-glucuronidase (GUS). When plant tissue is stained with the chromogenic compound X-gluc, those tissues that produce GUS will turn blue. Using investigative experiments, students will monitor both the physiological response of plants to these signals, as well as the induction of gene activity as reflected by GUS activity. Thus, students will be able to see that physiological and developmental responses correlate with specific gene activity. The GUS assay is highly visible, safe for the undergraduate laboratory, easy to conduct, and relatively inexpensive.
Specifically, we use transgenic Arabidopsis plants containing the GUS reporter gene fused to the cor15a gene promoter, which responds to cold stress.
Lab Core
Lab Links
|
