Zeneca Limited

Imperial Chemical Industries Limited

John Anthony Ray

Wolfgang Walter Schuch

Colin Roger Bird

Donald Grierson

Willem F Broekaert

Sarah Bronwen Rees

Rupert W Osborn

Ravindra Haribhai Tailor

Grantley W Lycett

Shelia Attenborough

Ruper G Fray

Jeremy M Boniwell

Teresa Ruth Waldin

Patrick Joseph Hussey

John Raymond Ellis, Deceased

Sheila Attenborough

Kathryn Elizabeth Cronin

Antimicrobial proteins are isolated from seeds of Impatiens, and show a wide range of antifungal activity and some antibacterial activity. DNA encoding the proteins is isolated and incorporated into vectors. Plants transformed with this DNA are produced. The invention further provides a method of expressing polyproteins in transgenic plants using DNA constructs based on the structure of the gene encoding the Impatiens antimicrobial proteins.

DNA encoding antimicrobial proteins from impatiens

Herbicide resistant plants

Antimicrobial proteins from aralia and impatiens

The invention relates to the clone pTOM36, comprising a gene encoding an enzyme involved in ripening related processes in tomato. Also described are DNA constructs comprising pTOM36 and a transcriptional intiation region operative in plants such that pTOM36 RNA is generated in plant cells, and tomato cells transformed with the DNA constructs.

PTOM36 constructs and tomato cells transformed therewith

A method is provided for making fruit (particularly tomatoes) having increased solids content which comprises cultivating fruit-bearing plants in which expression of genes homologous to pTOM36 is at least partially inhibited. For this purpose the fruit may be transformed with DNA constructs comprising a DNA sequence homologous to some or all of the gene encoded by the clone pTOM36. The clone is adapted to generate sense or antisense RNA under control of a plant promoter.

Transformed tomato plants

DNA clone encoding an ethylene-forming enzyme, constructs, plant cells

Isolated DNA derived from peach which codes for an ethylene-forming

DNA constructs useful for modifying the ripening behavior of fruit comprise a transcriptional initiation region operative in plants positioned for transcription of a DNA sequence homologous to some or all of a fruit-ripening gene encoded by either of the clones pTOM136 or pTOM66, so that the construct can generate RNA in plant cells. Also plant cells and plants transformed with such constructs.

DNA constructs containing fruit-ripening genes

DNA constructs comprise a DNA sequence homologous to some or all of the gene encoded by the clone pTOM36. The constructs may further comprise a transcriptional initiation region operative in plants for transcribing this DNA sequence, optionally in the antisense direction to produce mRNA complementary to the pTOM36 gene. Transformed plant cells and plants may be derived from such constructs: fruit from the plants (such as tomatoes) are expected to have modified ripening properties.

Tomato plants and cells containing pTOM36 antisense constructs

Growing community of inventors

Bracknell, United Kingdom

John Anthony Ray