Rhone-poulenc Agrochimie

Bayer Cropscience S.a.

Aventis Cropscience Gmbh

Michel Lebrun

Georges L Freyssinet

Bernard Leroux

Alain Sailland

Terry L Thomas

Molly Bogue

Claude Gigot

Bernard Pelissier

Eric Degryse

Nicole Chaubet

Richard De Rose

Rossitza Atanassova

The present invention relates to DNA molecules of plant origin encoding a modified 5-enolpyruvylshikimate-3-phosphate synthase (EPSPS) enzyme wherein the a first EPSPS coding sequence that normally encodes a threonine residue of a mature EPSPS sequence is modified to encode isoleucine of the mature EPSPS sequence, and a second EPSPS coding sequence that normally encodes a proline residue of a mature EPSPS sequence is modified to encode serine of the mature EPSPS sequence, wherein the first and second residues are respectively located at relatively positions 102 and 106 of a mature EPSPS sequence encoded by said DNA molecule; and the production of a transgenic plant resistant or tolerant to a herbicide of the phosphonomethylglycine family, e.g., glyphosate. The mutated enzyme, which substantially maintains the catalytic activity of the wild-type enzyme, allows for increased tolerance or tolerance of the plant to a herbicide of the phosphonomethylglycine family, and allows for the substantially normal growth or development of the plant, its organs, tissues or cells.

Mutated 5-enolpyruvylshikimate-3-phosphate synthase, gene coding for said protein and transformed plants containing said gene

1) Chimeric gone for conferring to plants an increased tolerance to a herbicide. 2) It comprises, in the direction of transcription, a promoter region, a transit peptide region, a sequence encoding glyphosate tolerance and a polyadenylation signal region, wherein the promoter region consists of at least one promoter of a plant histone gene enabling the expression of the herbicide tolerance protein in the regions of glyphosate accumulation. 3) Production of glyphosate-tolerant plants.

Chimeric gene for the transformation of plants

Isolated DNA sequence which can serve as terminator region in a chimeric gene capable of being used for the transformation of plants

Helianthinin is an 11S seed storage protein of sunflower embryos. The present invention is directed to the 5' regulatory regions of helianthinin genes. More particularly, the present invention is directed to specific cis-regulatory elements of this regulatory region which direct tissue-specific gene expression. The present invention provides chimeric genes comprising the cis-regulatory elements linked to a coding sequence from a heterologous gene to control expression of these genes. The chimeric genes provided by the instant invention are useful in conferring herbicide resistance and improved seed lipid quality to transgenic plants

Chimeric plant genes based on upstream regulatory elements of

Helianthinin is an 11S seed storage protein of sunflower embryos. The present invention is directed to the 5' regulatory regions of helianthinin genes. More particularly, the present invention is directed to specific cis-regulatory elements of this regulatory region which direct tissue-specific, temporally-regulated, or abscisic acid-responsive gene expression. The present invention provides chimeric genes comprising the cis-regulatory elements linked to a coding sequence from a heterologous gene to control expression of these genes. The chimeric genes provided by the instant invention are useful in conferring herbicide resistance and improved seed lipid quality to transgenic plants.

Helianthinin is an 11S seed storage protein of sunflower embryos. The present invention is directed to the 5' regulatory regions of helianthinin genes. More particularly, the present invention is directed to specific cis-regulatory elements of this regulatory region which direct abscisic acid-responsive gene expression. The present invention provides chimeric genes comprising the cis-regulatory elements linked to a coding sequence from a heterologous gene to control expression of these genes. The chimeric genes provided by the instant invention are useful in conferring herbicide resistance and improved seed lipid quality to transgenic plants.

Chimeric gene which is usable for endowing plants with resistance to a herbicide based on 3,5-dihalo-4-hydroxybenzonitrile, comprising at least one gene coding for resistance to this herbicide, a foreign promoter and, optionally, a polyadenylation signal region, wherein the promoter originates from a gene which is naturally expressed in plant cells and is chosen from the group comprising the promoter of the 35 S RNA for cauliflower mosaic virus (CaMV 35S) and the promoter of the small subunit (SSU) of sunflower (Helianthus annuus) ribulose-1,5-bisphosphate carboxylase/oxygenase (RubisCO).

Chimeric nitrilase-encoding gene for herbicidal resistance

Chimeric gene for conferring to plants an increased tolerance to a herbicide having as its target EPSPS comprises, in the direction of transcription, a promoter region, a transit peptide region, a coding sequence for glyphosate tolerance and a polyandenylation signal region, wherein the transit peptide region comprises, in the direction of translation, at least one transit peptide of a plant gene encoding a plastid-localized enzyme and then a second transit peptide of a plant gene encoding a plastid-localized enzyme. Production of glyphosate-tolerant plants is disclosed.

A Chimeric gene which is usable for endowing plants with resistance to a herbicide based on 3,5-dihalo-4-hydroxy-benzonitrile, comprising at least one gene coding for resistance to this herbicide, a foreign promoter and, optionally, a polyadenylation signal region, wherein the promoter originates from a gene which is naturally expressed in plant cells and is chosen from the group comprising the promoter of the 35 S RNA for cauliflower mosaic virus (CaMV 35S) and the promoter of the small subunit (SSU) of sunflower (Helianthus annuus) ribulose-1,5-bisphosphate carboxylase/oxygenase (RubisCO).

Chimeric gene for conferring to plants an increased tolerance to a herbicide having as its target EPSPS comprises, in the direction of transcription, a promoter region, a transit peptide region, a coding sequence for glyphosate tolerance and a polyadenylation signal region, wherein the transit peptide region comprises, in the direction of translation, at least one transit peptide of a plant gene encoding a plastid-localised enzyme, a partial sequence of the N-terminal mature part of a plant gene encoding a plastid-localised enzyme and then a second transit peptide of a plant gene encoding a plastid- localised enzyme. Production of glyphosate-tolerant plants is disclosed.

Growing community of inventors

Lyons, France

Michel Lebrun