Basf Plant Science Gmbh

Max-planck-gesellschaft Zur F&#xf6;rderung Der Wissenschaften E. V.

Unversität Zürich

Leibniz-institut Für Pflanzengenetik Und Kulturpflanzenforschung (ipk)

The Leibniz Institute of Plant Genetics and Crop Plant Research

Ipk Institut Für Pflanzengenetik Und Kulturpflanzenforschung

Leibniz-institut Fur Pflanzengenetik Und Kulturpflanzenforschung

Patrick Schweizer

Dimitar Douchkov

Markus Frank

Uwe Zierold

Ralph Panstruga

Robert Dudler

Paul Schulze-Lefert

Goetz Hensel

Alexandra Gay

Jochen Kumlehn

Axel Himmelbach

Lothar Altschmied

Helmut Maucher

Götz Hensel

The present invention relates to the creation of broad-spectrum resistance in transgenic plants by inserting inhibitory nucleic acid sequences inhibiting the expression of fungal genes. The nucleic acid sequences of genes which are crucial to development, growth and profilation of fungi, i.e. sequences of genes with an essential function in fungi, are often conserved and/or have a high sequence identity. Regions having a particularly high sequence identity between various fungi are used in order to produce inhibitory gene constructs, e.g. on basis of antisense, siRNA, shRNA, ribozyme technology and other technologies imparting the inhibition of the expression and activation of genes. Since said methods base on the sequence-specific hybridization of the inhibitory RNA molecules with respective target sequences in certain fungal genes, the expression of all corresponding genes from various fungi is thus inhibited as well. Due to the high sequence identity of such conserved gene sections, transgenic plants are thus produced, which have broad-spectrum resistance to various fungi.

Method for creating broad-spectrum resistance to fungi in transgenic plants

The invention relates to a method of generating or increasing a pathogen resistance in plants by reducing the expression of at least one Armadillo repeat polypeptide or a functional equivalent thereof. The invention relates to novel nucleic acid sequences coding for aArmadillo repeat (HvARM) polynucleotide and describes homologous sequences (ARM1) thereof, and to their use in methods for obtaining a pathogen resistance in plants e, and to nucleic acid constructs, expression cassettes and vectors which comprise these sequences and which are suitable for mediating a fungal resistance in plants. The invention furthermore relates to transgenic organisms, in particular plants, which are transformed with these expression cassettes or vectors, and to cultures, parts or transgenic propagation material derived therefrom.

Use of Armadillo repeat (ARM1) polynucleotides for obtaining pathogen resistance in plants

The invention relates to a method of generating or increasing a pathogen resistance in plants by reducing the expression of at least one subtilisin polypeptide or a functional equivalent thereof. The invention relates to novel nucleic acid sequences coding for asubtilisin (HvRNR9) andsubtilisin (TaRNR9) polynucleotide and describes homologous sequences (RNR9) thereof, and to their use in methods for obtaining a pathogen resistance in plants, and to nucleic acid constructs, expression cassettes and vectors which comprise these sequences and which are suitable for mediating a fungal resistance in plants. The invention furthermore relates to transgenic organisms, in particular plants, which are transformed with these expression cassettes or vectors, and to cultures, parts or transgenic propagation material derived therefrom.

Use of subtilisin-like RNR9 polynucleotide for achieving pathogen resistance in plants

Use of armadillo repeat (ARM1) polynucleotides for obtaining pathogen resistance in plants

The invention relates to a method of increasing the resistance to one or more penetrating pathogen(s) in a monocotyledonous or dicotyledonous plant or a part of a plant, for example in an organ, tissue, a cell or a part of a plant cell, for example in an organell, wherein a DNA sequence which codes for an armadillo repeat ARM1 protein and which mediates an increased pathogen resistance, preferably an increased resistance to fungal pathogens, is increased into, and expressed in, the plant or plant cell; or wherein an endogenous DNA sequence which codes for an armadillo repeat ARM1 protein and which mediates an increased pathogen resistance, preferably an increased resistance to fungal pathogens, is increased in the plant or plant cell in comparison with the original, or wild-type, plant, or wherein the endogenous gene sequence or preferably the 5'-untranslated region (5&#x2032;UTR) is modified in comparison with the original sequence. The invention also relates to plants, to parts of a plant, for example an organ, tissue, a cell or a part of a plant cell, for example an organelle, which are obtained by the above methods, and to corresponding propagation material.

Method for increasing pathogen resistance in transgenic plants

The present invention relates to a method of increasing the pathogen resistance in transgenic plants and/or plant cells, where a DNA sequence which codes for a protein with a leucine-rich-repeat (LRR) domain and/or a kinase activity is introduced into the plant or plant cell and expressed therein. The present invention also relates to the use of nucleic acids which code for such a protein, for the generation of transgenic plants or plant cells with an increased pathogen resistance. The present invention furthermore relates to nucleic acid sequences which code for a protein which confers an increased pathogen resistance in plants.

Method for increasing resistance to pathogens in transgenic plants

The invention relates to a method of generating or increasing a pathogen resistance in plants by reducing the expression of at least one stomatin polypeptide or a functional equivalent thereof. The invention relates to novel nucleic acid sequences coding for astomatin (HvSTM1) polynucleotide and describes homologous sequences (STM1) thereof, and to their use in methods for obtaining a pathogen resistance in plants, and to nucleic acid constructs, expression cassettes and vectors which comprise these sequences and which are suitable for mediating a fungal resistance in plants. The invention furthermore relates to transgenic organisms, in particular plants, which are transformed with these expression cassettes or vectors, and to cultures, parts or transgenic propagation material derived therefrom.

Use of stomatin (STM1) polynucleotides for achieving a pathogen resistance in plants

The invention relates to promoter regions, under the control of which transgenes can be expressed in plants in an epidermis-specific and pathogen-inducible manner. The invention also relates to recombinant nucleic acid molecules, including the promoters, to transgenic plants and plant cells, transformed with said the nucleic acid molecules and to methods for producing the same. The invention also relates to nucleic acid molecules, including a promoter according to the invention, nucleic acid sequences or transgenes, which can convey resistance to pathogens, plants and cell plants, transformed with the nucleic acid molecules and methods for producing the same. The invention also relates to the use of the promoter region according to the invention for analyzing pathogen-induced signal transduction pathways in plant cells.

Promoter for epidermis-specific, pathogen-inducible transgenic expression in plants

The invention relates to methods of producing transgenic plants including pathogen resistant plants with recombinant nucleic acid molecules comprising promoter regions which provides expression of a desired transgene in epidermis-specific manner, and transgenic plants produced by said methods.

Growing community of inventors

Ballenstedt, Germany

Patrick Schweizer