Regulation and evolution of seed globulin genes

The expression of seed protein genes is precisely regulated in a tissue-specific and development dependent manner mainly as the result of specific interactions between trans-acting factors and corresponding cis-elements. The RY element CATGCATG is one of the best known df-motifs found in the promoters of many seed specific genes. The expression analysis of in vitro generated promoter mutants suggests that mainly the actual nucleotide sequence and not the RY character itself is essential for the function of the motif as a positively acting element of the legumin gene promoter.