Her Majesty the Queen in Right of Canada, as Represented by the Minister of Agriculture and Agri-Food

Pioneer Hi-Bred International, Inc.

Her Majesty the Queen in Right of Canada as Represented by the Ministerof Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada

Her Majesty the Queen in Right of Canada as Represented by Agriculture

Plant Research International B.v.

Agri-Food Canada

Brian Miki

Jiro Hattori

Teresa Martin-Heller

Eric Barbour

Chris L Baszczynski

Keqiang Wu

Kamal Malik

Elizabeth Foster

Lining Tian

Peijun Zhang

John A Simmonds

Linda J Harris

Sharon Allard

Leslie Cass

Thérèse Ouellet

Shea Miller

Th&eacute;r&egrave;se Ouellet

Mark Gijzen

Dan Brown

Ming Hu

Michiel Van Lookeren Campagne

Jan Custers

Daniel C Brown

Kim Boutilier

Raymond Tropiano

David A Theilmann

Ti Xing

Daniel Charles William Brown

Hélène Labbé

Pierre Fobert

V N Iyer

The present invention is directed to a nucleic acid comprising a nucleotide sequence that encodes a protein that imparts a dull luster to a seed coat when expressed within seed-coat tissues and to transgenic seeds, plant cells and plants expressing the protein.

Seed coat gene and gene product

T-DNA tagging with a promoterless &#x3b2;-glucuronidase (GUS) gene generated transgenicplants that expressed GUS activity either only in developing seed coats, or constitutively. Cloning and deletion analysis of the GUS fusion revealed that the promoter responsible for seed coat specificity was located in the plant DNA proximal to the GUS gene. Analysis of the region demonstrated that the seed coat-specificity of GUS expression in this transgenic plant resulted from T-DNA insertion next to a cryptic promoter. This promoter is useful in controlling the expression of genes to the developing seed coat in plant seeds. Similarly, cloning and characterization of the cryptic constitutive promoter revealed the occurrence of several cryptic regulatory regions. These regions include promoter, negative regulatory elements, transcriptional enhancers, core promoter regions, and translational enhancers and other regulatory elements.

Cryptic regulatory elements obtained from plants

The present invention provides for a gene obtained during the induction of microspore embryogenisis. The protein encoded by this gene renders plant cells embryongenic, and increases the regenerative capacity of the plant cell. Also disclosed is the regulatory region of this gene and its use for directing the expression of a gene of interest within a suitable host cell.

Use of the BNM3 transcriptional activator to control plant embryogenesis and regeneration processes

This invention is directed to a regulatory region obtained from a wheat aleurone gene LtpW1. This regulatory region, truncated derivatives, mutations, or deletions of this regulatory region, can be used to express heterologous genes of interest within aleurone cells of a plant. Furthermore, this invention is directed to a truncated LtpW1 regulatory region that exhibits constitutive activity with both monocot and dicot plants. This invention is also directed to vectors comprising these regulatory regions operatively linked with a heterologous gene of interest, as well as plant cell cultures and transgenic plants comprising these vectors. A method for the preparation of a plant using the regulatory regions of this invention are also disclosed.

Regulatory region of a lipid transfer protein (LtpW1) from aleuron tissue of wheat

The present invention is directed to translational regulatory elements that mediate the amount of protein produced within a host capable of expressing a construct comprising one or more translational regulatory elements in operative association with a gene of interest. These translational regulatory elements were derived from T1275 (tCUP) and exhibit a high degree of similarity with members of the RENT family of repetitive elements. Translational regulatory elements are disclosed that either increase or decrease he amount of protein produced within the host organism. These translational elements are operative in a wide range of hosts including plant, animals, yeast, fungi and bacteria. Analogs, derivatives and fragments of these translational elements are also disclosed.

Translational regulatory elements

A mitogen-activated protein (MAP) kinase kinase gene, tMEK2, was isolated from tomato cv. Bonny Best. By mutagenesis, a permanently-active variant, tMEK2 , was created. Both wild type tMEK2 and mutant tMEK2 were driven by a strong constitutive promoter, tCUP&Dgr;, in a tomato protoplast transient expression system. Pathogenesis-related genes, PR1b1 and PR3, and a wound-inducible gene, ER5, were activated by tMEK2 expression revealing the convergence of the signal transduction pathways for pathogen attack and mechanical stress at the level of MAPKK. Activation of biotic and abiotic stress response genes downstream of tMEK2 occurred through divergent pathways involving at least two classes of mitogen-activated protein kinase. This study shows that tMEK2 may play an important role in the interaction of signal transduction pathways that mediate responses to both biotic (eg disease) and abiotic (wound responsiveness) stresses.

Plant-derived map kinase kinase

T-DNA tagging with a promoterless .beta.-glucuronidase (GUS) gene generated a transgenic Nicotiana tabacum plant that expressed GUS activity only in developing seed coats. Cloning and deletion analysis of the GUS fusion revealed that the promoter responsible for seed coat specificity was located in the plant DNA proximal to the GUS gene. Analysis of the region demonstrated that the seed coat-specificity of GUS expression in this transgenic plant resulted from T-DNA insertion next to a cryptic promoter. This promotor is useful in controlling the expression of genes to the developing seed coat in plant seeds.

Seed coat-specific cryptic promoter in tobacco

A novel DNA regulatory element that confers microspore-specific gene expression has been discovered, isolated, and characterized. The microspore-specific regulatory element can be used to control the expression of a foreign gene that disrupts the function of microspores. Thus, the control of pollen production can be achieved by using the microspore-specific regulatory element to produce male-sterile plants. Various methods can be used to restore male fertility in the F1 generation of such male-sterile plants. In addition, the microspore-specific regulatory element can be used to confer resistance to viral and insect pests.

Use of a microspore-specific regulatory element for production of virus

The Brassica ALS3 promoter is operably linked to a foreign structural gene to provide high level, and generally constitutive or tissue general expression of the structural gene in transformed plants. The Brassica ALS3 promoter exhibits a non-tissue-preferred mode of expression at a level comparable to, and in some cases higher than, the widely used CaMV 35S promoter. Accordingly, DNA constructs comprising the Brassica ALS3 promoter operably linked to any number of different gene coding regions can be used for constitutive and tissue-general expression of the gene in transformed plants. The Brassica ALS3 promoter is used to direct expression of agronomically important genes and selectable marker genes.

ALS3 promoter

Microspore-specific regulatory element

Growing community of inventors

Ottawa, Canada

Brian Miki