wheat glutathione-S-transferase gene with transposon-like sequences in the promoter region

Infection of wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) with the powdery mildew fungus Erysiphe graminis induces a host response that includes the activation of putative defence genes. In order to study function and regulation of such genes we used pathogen-induced cDNA clones as probes to isolate corresponding genes from a wheat geonomic library. Here we report the isolation and sequence of a second gene, gstA2, which is similar to gstA1, but contains a frameshift mutation in the coding sequence and two insertions in the promoter reminiscent of defective transposable elements. Thus, gstA2 is presumably a defective gene.