Novartis Finance Corporation

Ciba-geigy Corporation

Novartis Corporation

Jeffrey I Stein

Lyle Dean Crossland

Annmarie B Tuttle

Stephen T Lam

Thomas D Gaffney

Dwight Steven Hill

James M Ligon

The present invention provides a dual method for producing male-sterile plants. Two genetically transformed plants, parents 1 and 2 are crossed to obtain male-sterile offspring. Parent 1 is transformed with an expression cassette comprising a nucleotide sequence encoding an anther-specific promoter which is operably linked to a nucleotide sequence encoding a transactivator. Parent 2 is transformed with an expression cassette comprising a target nucleotide sequence, which is capable of being activated by the transactivator, operably linked to a nucleotide sequence which encodes RNA or a polypeptide which will disrupt the formation of viable pollen. Therefore, crossing parent 1 with parent 2 results in male-sterile offspring. The male-sterile plants are useful for producing hybrid seed. The invention also provides compositions and methods for high level expression of a coding region of interest in a plant.

Methods for the production of hybrid seed

Gene activating sequences which activate the expression of other bacterial genes, which are latent or expressed at low levels, are provided. The gene activating sequences confer the ability to produce several metabolites and may be transferred to bacterial strains. The transformed biocontrol agents are active to inhibit the growth of the fungal pathogens.

Genomic DNA encoding a Pseudomonas global transcriptional activation

Genomic DNA encoding a pseudomonas global transcriptional activation

Transgenic male sterile plants for the production of hybrid seeds

Growing community of inventors

Chapel Hill, NC, United States of America

Jeffrey I Stein