Institute of Molecular Agrobiology

Hans Erik Molager Christensen

Nam-Hai Chua

Srinivasan Ramachandran

Plant growth habit is altered by causing either under-expression or over-expression of profilin in a plant cell. Under-expression of profilin can be achieved by transforming a plant or plant cell with a gene expressing an antisense mRNA complementary to the mRNA transcribed by the coding sequence of a profilin gene and expressing the gene in the plant or plant cell such that the antisense mRNA inhibits the production of the profilin in the plant or plant cell. Under-expression of profilins in plants can lead to such alterations in growth habit as a dwarf phenotype, a reduced root and root hair system, and delay in the onset of flowering. Over-expression of profilin can be achieved by transforming a plant or plant cell with a gene capable of expressing a profilin in the plant or plant cell and causing the transformed gene to be expressed in the plant or plant cell. Over-expression of profilin in a plant can lead to such alterations in growth habit as a tall phenotype, an expansion of the root and root hair system, expansion of leaf surface area and accelerating the onset of flowering.

Growing community of inventors

Hedehusene, Denmark

Hans Erik Molager Christensen