The Henry M. Jackson Foundation for the Advancement of Military Medicine Inc.

Cornell Research Foundation Inc.

University of North Carolina at Greensboro

C Neal Stewart

Alison D O'Brien

Marian L McKee

Marian R Wachtel

Roxanne M Broadway

The present invention relates to a DNA construct containing a DNA for a serine proteinase inhibitor isolated from, which has antibiosis activity. The present invention also relates to transgenic plants and transgenic plant seeds containing that nucleic acid molecule. Resistance to herbivorous insects can be conferred to a plant by either transformation of the plant with the nucleic acid molecule which encodes a serine proteinase inhibitor isolated fromor by application of that inhibitor to plants or plant seeds.

Cabbage proteinase inhibitor gene confers resistance against plant pests

This invention satisfies needs in the art by providing intimin, the Enterohemorrhagic(EHEC) adherence protein, alone or as a fusion protein with one or more other antigens, expressed by transgenic plants and the use of those plants as vehicles for stimulating a protective immune response against EHEC and the one or more other antigens. Various plant species are transformed to protect various animal species and also humans against EHEC, against pathogens expressing intimin-like proteins, and against pathogens expressing any of the one or more other antigens to which intimin may be fused. The eae gene encoding intimin, a functional portion thereof, or a recombination that encodes a fusion protein is put under the control of a constitutive plant promoter in a plasmid and the plasmid is introduced into plants by the type of transformation appropriate for the particular plant species. The engineered plants expressing intimin or the intimin fusion protein are then fed to animals and/or humans to elicit the production of antibodies, which protect the animals/humans against EHEC colonization and infection, and against pathogens expressing the one or more other antigens and any cross-reactive antigens. The invention may also be practiced by expressing the intimin or intimin fusion protein in other host organisms such as bacteria, yeast, and fungi.

Method of stimulating an immune response by administration of host organisms that express intimin alone or as a fusion protein with one or more other antigens

Plants and plant cells expressing histidine tagged intimin

Growing community of inventors

Greensboro, NC, United States of America

C Neal Stewart