The Salk Institute for Biological Studies

Washington University

Michael M Neff

Joanne Chory

A transgenic plant transformed by a Dof transcription factor, OBP3, coding nucleic acid, wherein expression of the nucleic acid sequence in the plant results in an alteration in the size of the resulting plant as compared to a corresponding wild-type variety of plant. Also provided are agricultural products, including seeds, produced by the transgenic plants. Further provided are isolated OBP3's, isolated nucleic acid coding OBP3's, and vectors and host cells containing the latter.

Gene for a Dof transcription factor capable of altering the size and stature of a plant

Disclosed are plants and methods of making plants that have a dwarf stature in comparison to wildtype plants. By transforming a wildtype plant with a 'bas1' gene, or functional homolog thereof, the plant grows to have a dwarf stature.

Genetically modified plants having modulated brassinosteroid signaling

The present invention provides cytochrome P450s useful in for producing genetically modified plants characterized as having the phenotypic trait of modulated brassinolide synthesis or signaling, for example, resulting in insect resistance, dwarfism and darker-green foliage compared with wild type plants. Such plants can be modified, for example, using &ldquo;bas1&rdquo;, or functional homologues thereof, a polypeptide encoded by bas1 that modulates brassinolide synthesis and/or signaling in plants. The invention also provides methods for modulating ecdysteroid activity in a plant and for assaying brassinosteroid function in a plant. The latter method can be used to create a gain-of-function allelic series of plants characterized by increasing levels of overexpression of a cytochrome P450 to screen for brassinolide activity in a plant species.

Growing community of inventors

St. Louis, MO, United States of America

Michael M Neff