University of California

University System of Maryland

June Myoung Kwak

Julian I Schroeder

Heven Sze

Veronique Hugouvieux

Senthilkumar Padmanaban

The inventors herein disclose a new transporter that participates in guard cell movement. The inventors have now found that AtCHX20 is preferentially expressed in guard cells using microarray and promoter TGUS analyses. The inventors have also found a guard cell specific promoter which serves as a powerful tool to manipulate the opening and closing of guard cells and thus the ability to control water loss and gas exchange of plants. Such a tool can be particularly useful when applied to crops and other plants of economic importance, thus the present inventors have identified homologous genes in several other plants that fall within the scope of this invention.

Guard cell-specific tool for molecular manipulation of drought avoidance/water loss in plants

The present invention provides methods of modulating abscisic acid signal transduction in plants. The method comprise introducing into the plant a recombinant expression cassette comprising a promoter operably linked to an ABH1 polynucleotide.

Modulation of abscisic acid signal transduction in plants

A method to increase drought resistance in plants is provided. The method comprises inhibiting or disabling inward-rectifying K (K ) channels in the stomatal guard cells of the plant.

Growing community of inventors

San Diego, CA, United States of America

June Myoung Kwak