Promoter analysis in banana

Abstract

Currently, several research laboratories are developing genetically modified bananas and plantains for different purposes, while new transgenic crops are being developed and released in several countries. Therefore, a more regulated transgene expression is needed. Furthermore, native banana promoters should imply a more public acceptance than heterologous sequences. Promoter isolation could be performed by an insertional mutagenesis approach or indirectly by analyzing expression patterns of related genes. Advances in genomics led to the genome sequencing and gene annotation of banana, as a source to identify candidate promoters for specific expression patterns. The challenge in computational approaches for promoter characterization is to precisely identify pattern of expression. Actually, promoter analysis for activity characterization has been confirmed through experimentation with different techniques, including reporter genes, bioinformatics analysis for candidate cis-acting element and promoter prediction, and expression analysis of related genes. A review of characterization of different banana promoters is summarized, and the analysis of available banana promoter sequences in the GenBank was performed with available bioinformatics tools and a novel method to identify motif sequences. Furthermore, a list of promoters used in the development of genetically modified banana is presented, indicating an increase of plant and native banana promoters used to drive expression of related gene in a specific pattern.