Hexima Limited

The University of Melbourne

Dairy Australia Limited

Agriculture Victoria Services Pty Limited

Molecular Plant Breeding Nominees Ltd.

Robyn Louise Heath

Marilyn Anne Anderson

Adrienne Elizabeth Clarke

Angela Hilary Atkinson

Fung Tso Lay

German Carlos Spangenberg

Angela Jane Lidgett

Damian Paul Lynch

Russell Leigh McInnes

Aidyn Mouradov

Ulrik Peter John

Nicole Van Der Weerden

James Anthony McKenna

Megan Elizabeth Griffith

Simon Poon

Kerry Michelle Dunse

Russell Leigh Mcinnes

Megan Griffith

Ulrick Peter John

The present invention relates to the modification of lignin biosynthesis in plants, to enzymes involved in the lignin biosynthetic pathway and nucleic acids encoding such enzymes and, more particularly, to methods of modifying lignin biosynthesis via sense suppression and to related nucleic acids and constructs.

Modification of lignin biosynthesis via sense suppression

The present invention relates to the modification of lignin biosynthesis in plants and, more particularly, to enzymes involved in the lignin biosynthetic pathway and nucleic acids encoding such enzymes.

Modification of lignin biosynthesis

The present invention provides nucleic acid molecules derived from, which encode defensin-like molecules. The present invention contemplates the use of such nucleic acid molecules in the generation of transgenic plants having resistance or at least reduced sensitivity to plant pests including insects, microorganisms, fungi and/or viruses and the of the encoded defensin-like molecules in compositions for topical application to a plant or a plant part so as to reduce prevent or reduce infestation of the plant or plant part by plant pests. The transgenic plants provided by the present invention include monocotyledonous and dicotyledonous plants, and particularly include crop plants and ornamental flowering plants.

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Provided is a system for protecting plants from attack by pests, including pathogens such as fungi. Specifically, a plant defensin is provided in conjunction with a protease inhibitor protects a plant from pest attack or reduces severity of an attack.

Anti-pathogen systems

A system for reducing the incidence or severity of fungal infection of a plant, comprising a chemical fungicide component, which may be provided by foliar or root (soil or liquid nutrient) application, together with an antifungal plant defensin not in nature expressed in the plant being protected or expressed in lower amounts or in different tissues, provides synergistic improvement in protection against infection by a plant pathogenic fungus which is susceptible to the defensin and the fungicide. The fungicide can be a strobilurin or a triazole, and the defensin can be selected from a wide range of known defensins, for example, NaD1 and others, or it can be a chimeric defensin engineered for low toxicity to the plant. The defensin can be provided as a protein formulation, optionally together with the fungicide, or it can be provided by recombinant expression in the plant to be protected from fungal infection.

Methods for protecting plants with antifungal compositions

The present invention provides nucleic acid molecules derived from, which encode defensin-like molecules. The present invention contemplates the use of such nucleic acid molecules in the generation of transgenic plants having resistance or at least reduced sensitivity to plant pests including insects, microorganisms, fungi and/or viruses. The transgenic plants provided by the present invention include monocotyledonous and dicotyledonous plants, and particularly include crop plants and ornamental flowering plants.

Defensin-encoding nucleic acid molecules, uses therefor and transgenic plants comprising same

The present invention relates generally to a novel chymotrypsin that exhibits resistance to a plant serine proteinase inhibitor. More particularly, the present invention provides a chymotrypsin which is up-regulated in the gut ofandinsect larvae when fed the serine proteinase inhibitors ofThe novel chymotrypsin represents, therefore, a target for the identification of antagonists including inhibitors which are proposed to be useful in the control ofspp. populations that have become resistant to serine proteinase inhibitors produced in plants. The antagonists of the chymotrypsin may be topically applied to the plants or, when in proteinaceous form, may be produced by genetic means in plant cells. The antagonists may act at the level of gene expression or protein activity.

Insect chymotrypsin and inhibitors thereof

The present invention relates to the modification of lignin biosynthesis in plants, using the nucleotide sequences encoding the enzymes 4-coumarate CoA-ligase (4CL), cinnamoyl-CoA reductase (CCR), cinnamyl alcohol dehydrogenase (CAD) of the lignin biosynthetic pathway, from ryegrass () and fescue (). The present invention also relates to regulatory elements, promoters capable of causing expression of exogenous genes in plants, wherein the regulatory elements are from the genes for caffeic acid Omethyl transferase (OMT), 4CL, CCR or CAD. The invention also relates to vectors including the nucleic acids and regulatory elements of the invention, plant cells, plants, plant seeds and other plant parts transformed with the regulatory elements, nucleic acids and vectors and methods using the nucleic acids, regulatory elements and vectors.

The present invention relates generally to proteinase inhibitors, a precursor thereof and to genetic sequences encoding same. More particularly, the present invention relates to a nucleic acid molecule comprising a sequence of nucleotides which encodes or is complementary to a sequence which encodes a type II serin proteinase inhibitor (PI) precursor from a plant wherein the precursor comprises at least three PI monomers and wherein at least one of the monomers has a chymotrypsin specific site and at least one other of the monomers has a trypsin specific site.

Proteinase inhibitor, precursor thereof and genetic sequences encoding same

The present invention relates generally to proteinase inhibitors, a precursor thereof and to genetic sequences encoding same. More particularly, the present invention relates to isolated monomers of a type II serine proteinase inhibitor.

Isolated monomers of a type II serine proteinase inhibitor

The present invention provides amino acid molecules derived from. The present invention contemplates the use of nucleic acids encoding such amino acid molecules in the generation of transgenic plants having resistance or at least reduced sensitivity to plant pests including insects, microorganisms, fungi and/or viruses. The transgenic plants provided by the present invention include monocotyledonous and dicotyledonous plants, and particularly include crop plants and ornamental flowering plants.

The present invention provides nucleic acid molecules derived from, which encode defensin-like molecules. The present invention contemplates the use of such nucleic acid molecules in the generation of transcienic plants having resistance or at least reduced sensitivity to plant pests including insects, microorganisms, fungi and/or viruses. The transcienic plants provided by the present invention include monocotyledonous and dicotyledonous plants, and particularly include crop plants and ornamental flowering plants.

Growing community of inventors

Clifton Hill, Australia

Robyn Louise Heath