Cornell Research Foundation Inc.

Seminis Vegetable Seeds, Inc.

The Upjohn Co.

Profigen, Inc.

Institute of Applied Science and Technology

Institute of Applied Science and Technology (icat)-laboratory for Plant Biotechnology

Dennis Gonsalves

Kai-Shu Ling

Sheng-Zhi Pang

Gustavo Alberto Fermin-Munoz

Baozhong Meng

Jerry L Slightom

John F Reynolds

Kim J Carney

Maury L Boeshore

David M Tricoli

Chu-Hui Chiang

J Russell McMaster

Hector D Quemada

Aladje Baldé

Osmar Nickel

Paula F Tennant

Fuh-Jyh Jan

Sanjay Saxena

Hai-Ying Zhu

Carol V Gonsalves

Wenqi Cai

Baodi Xue

Nonglak Sarindu

Tania Krastanova

Marc Fuchs

Manoel Teixeira Souza, Jr

Maria Salomé Soares Pais

Thomas J Burr

Russell J McMaster

John Hu

Shengzhi Pang

Brigitte L'hostis

Jerry L Slighton

Chris Kearney

The present invention relates to the isolation and identification of nucleic acid sequences encoding the coat protein of papaya ringspot virus in the Kapoho (KA), Keaau (KE), Thailand (TH), Brazil (BR), Jamaica (JA), Mexico (ME), Venezuela (VE), and Oahu (OA) strains, and the uses thereof to impart viral resistance to papaya plants. The present invention also relates to nucleic acid constructs containing individual or multiple papaya ringspot virus coat protein-encoding nucleic acid sequences, and host cells and transgenic plants and seeds containing such constructs. The present invention is also directed to a method of using such constructs to impart to plants resistance to papaya ringspot virus.

Papaya ringspot virus genes

The present invention is directed to a DNA construct which includes a modified DNA molecule with a nucleotide sequence which is at least 80%, but less than 100%, homologous to two or more desired trait DNA molecules and which imparts the desired trait to plants transformed with the DNA construct. Each of the desired trait DNA molecules relative to the modified nucleic acid molecule have nucleotide sequence similarity values which differ by no more than 3 percentage points. The DNA construct may further include either a silencer or a plurality of modified DNA molecules. The present invention also relates to host cells, plant cells, transgenic plants, and transgenic plant seeds containing such DNA constructs. The present invention is also directed to a method of preparing a modified nucleic acid molecule suitable to impart multiple traits to a plant, a method of determining whether multiple desired traits can be imparted to plants by a single modified DNA molecule, and a method for imparting traits to plants by transforming the plants with the DNA construct.

Synthetic nucleic acid molecule for imparting multiple traits

In general, the invention features a method for selecting a transgenic grapevine or grapevine component having increased resistance to a grapevine fanleaf disease. The method involves (a) transforming a grape plant cell with a grapevine fanleaf virus coat protein nucleic acid molecule or fragment thereof which is expressed in the plant cell; (b) regenerating a transgenic grapevine or grapevine component from the plant cell; and (c) selecting a transgenic grapevine or grapevine component expressing a grapevine fanleaf virus coat protein or coat protein fragment thereof, where the coat protein or the coat protein fragment thereof is expressed at a level equal to or less than an optical density of about 0.2 at 405 nm as detected by an enzyme-linked immunoassay as compared to a control plant, the selected transgenic grapevine or grapevine component having resistance to the grapevine fanleaf disease.

Grapevine fanleaf virus resistance in grapevine

The invention relates to isolates DNA molecules encoding a protein for papaya fruit ripening, DNA constructs, host cells, and transgenic plants comprising the DNA molecules. The invention also relates to methods to promoting or relaying the fruit ripening of papaya plants through transformation of papaya with DNA construct containing the DNA molecules.

Isolated nucleic acid molecules relating to papaya fruit ripening

The present invention relates to DNA constructs which include DNA molecules which affect papaya fruit ripening and DNA molecules which encode papaya ringspot virus coat protein. The present invention further relates to a method of controlling papaya fruit ripening while conferring resistance to Papaya Ringspot Virus by transforming plants with the DNA construct. The present invention also relates to expression systems, host cells, and transgenic plants containing the DNA constructs of the invention.

Method to control the ripening of papaya fruit and confer disease resistance to papaya plants

The invention features a method of detecting the presence of a grapevine leafroll virus in a sample using immunological or nucleic-acid based methodologies.

Grapevine leafroll virus proteins and their uses

The present invention is directed to a DNA construct comprising a first DNA molecule having a length insufficient to independently impart resistance to a virus to plants transformed with said first DNA molecule, wherein the first DNA molecule is from a viral coat protein gene and is at least 110 nucleotides in length. The construct also comprises a second DNA of at least 400 nucleotides in length, which is coupled to the first DNA molecule so that the first and second DNA molecules collectively achieve post-transcriptional silencing and impart resistance to the virus. Alternately, the DNA construct can comprise a plurality of DNA molecules each of which is at least 110 nucleotides in length and from a viral gene, wherein the plurality of DNA molecules are at least 510 nucleotides in length.

DNA constructs and methods to impart resistance to at least one virus on plants

The present invention relates to isolated proteins or polypeptides of grapevine leafroll virus (type 2). The encoding DNA molecules either alone in isolated form or in an expression system, a host cell, or a transgenic grape plant are also disclosed. Other aspects of the present invention relates to a method of imparting grapevine leafroll resistance, to grape and tobacco plants by transforming them with the DNA molecules of the present invention, a method of imparting beet yellows virus resistance to a beet plant, a method of imparting tristeza virus resistance to a citrus plant, and a method of detecting the presence of a grapevine leafroll virus, such as GRLaV-2, in a sample.

Grapevine leafroll virus (type 2) proteins and their uses

The nucleotide sequences for tomato spotted wilt virus (TSWV) nucleocapsid is described, and transgenic plants containing the nucleocapsid nucleotide sequence from a TSMV isolate is shown to provide resistance in the transgenic plant to from different serogrotips. In addition, transgenic plants containing the nucleocapsid nucleotide sequence from a lettuce isolate of TSWV were produced and shown to provide (in plants producing small amounts of the nucleocapsid protein) resistance in the transgenic plant to both homologous and closely related viral isolates whereas plants producing larger amounts of the nucleocapsid protein possessed moderate levels of protection against both the homologous isolate and isolates of distantly related Impatiens necrotic spot virus (INSV).

Tospovirus resistance in plants

The present invention is directed to a DNA construct comprising a first DNA molecule having a length insufficient to independently impart resistance to papaya ringspot virus to plants transformed with said first DNA molecule, wherein the first DNA molecule is from a DNA molecule encoding a papaya ringspot virus coat protein and is at least 110 nucleotides in length. The construct also comprises a second DNA of at least 400 nucleotides in length, which is coupled to the first DNA molecule so that the first and second DNA molecules collectively achieve post-transcriptional silencing and impart resistance to papaya ringspot virus. Alternately, the DNA construct can comprise a plurality of DNA molecules each of which is at least 110 nucleotides and at least one of which is from a DNA encoding a papaya ringspot viral coat protein and is insufficient in length to independently impart resistance to papaya ringspot virus to plants.

DNA constructs and methods to impart resistance to papaya ringspot virus on plants

This invention relates to purified monoclonal antibodies that specifically bind to a Rupestris stem pitting associated virus coat protein or coat protein polypeptide, and methods of detecting a Rupestris stem pitting associated virus.

Rupestris stem pitting associated virus nucleic acids, proteins, and their uses

In general, the invention features a method for selecting a transgenic grapevine or grapevine component having increased resistance to a fanleaf disease, the method including the steps of: (a) transforming a grape plant cell with a grape nepovirus coat protein nucleic acid molecule or fragment thereof which is capable of being expressed in the plant cell; (b) regenerating a transgenic grapevine or grapevine component from the plant cell; and (c) selecting a transgenic grapevine or grapevine component which expresses, at a low level, the nucleic acid molecule or fragment thereof, wherein the low level expression increases the resistance of the transgenic grapevine or grapevine component to fanleaf disease. The invention also relates to an isolated nucleic acid molecule encoding a coat protein or fragment thereof of a 'Geneva' isolate of a grapevine nepovirus virus.

Grapevine fanleaf virus resistance in grapevine expressing grapevine fanleaf virus coat protein

The present invention relates to an isolated protein or polypeptide corresponding to a coat protein or polypeptide of a grapevine leafroll virus. The encoding DNA molecule either alone in isolated form or in an expression system, a host cell, or a transgenic grape plant is also disclosed. Another aspect of the present invention relates to a method of imparting grapevine leafroll resistance to grape plants by transforming them with the DNA molecule of the present invention. A method for imparting tristeza virus resistance in citrus plants using the DNA molecule of the present invention is also disclosed.

Growing community of inventors

Geneva, NY, United States of America

Dennis Gonsalves