Predicted promoter regions of Milk vetch dwarf virus (MDV) components (C1-C11) were isolated and fused with a beta-glucuronidase (GUS) reporter gene and the characteristics of the promoters were examined. In transgenic tobacco calli, promoters of MDV C4 (encoding a cell-cycle link protein), C5 and C7 (both encoding unknown proteins), C6 (encoding a nuclear-shuttle protein) and C8 (encoding a movement protein) generated a stronger level of GUS expression than the Cauliflower mosaic virus 35S RNA promoter (P35S). In leaves of transgenic tobacco plants, the promoters of C5 and C8 conferred a level of GUS activity comparable to that of P35S. Histochemical GUS analysis showed that the promoters of C4-C9, the latter encoding a capsid protein, were active in phloem and meristematic tissue. The promoter of C8 was also active in mesophyll and cortex cell types. A low level of activity was found for the promoters of C11, which encodes a master replication-initiator protein (Rep), and C1, C2, C3 and C10, which encode additional Reps, in both transgenic tobacco calli and plants.