The alc-GR system: a modified alc gene switch designed for use in plant tissue culture.

The ALCR/alcA (alc) two-component, ethanol-inducible gene expression system provides stringent control of transgene expression in genetically modified plants. ALCR is an ethanol-activated transcription factor that can drive expression from the ALCR-responsive promoter (alcA). However, the alc system has been shown to have constitutive expression when used in plant callus or cell suspension cultures, possibly resulting from endogenous inducer produced in response to lowered oxygen availability.

Characterization of the ethanol-inducible alc gene expression system in tomato.

The efficacy of the ethanol-inducible alc transgene expression system, derived from the filamentous fungus Aspergillus nidulans, has been demonstrated in transgenic tomato. Two direct comparisons have been made. First, this study has utilized two transgenic lines carrying distinct reporter genes (chloramphenicol acetyltransferase and beta-glucuronidase) to distinguish aspects of induction determined by the nature of the gene/gene product rather than that of the plant.

Ethanol-inducible gene expression: first step towards a new green revolution?

The introduction of dwarf varieties of cereals was fundamental to the green revolution, but in the post-genomic era, the manipulation of plant morphology could be more sophisticated. A recent publication by Tahar Ait-ali et al. describes the use of the ethanol-inducible transgene expression system to re-examine plant architecture, and the genes that determine it.