Zeneca Limited

Zeneca Agrochemicals

Rupert W Osborn

Willem F Broekaert

Sarah Bronwen Rees

Jozef Vanderleyden

Bruno Philippe Cammue

Franky Rg Terras

John Anthony Ray

Ravindra Haribhai Tailor

Bruno Pa Cammue

Bruno P A Cammue

Franky R G Terras

Shelia Attenborough

Bruno Philippe Angelo Cammue

Sheila Attenborough

Biocidal proteins capable of isolation from seeds have been characterized. The proteins have an amino acid sequence containing the common cysteine/glycine domain of Chitin-binding Plant Proteins but show substantially better activity against pathogenic fungi, a higher ratio of basic amino acids to acidic amino acids, and/or antifungal activity which results in increased hyphal branching. Antimicrobial proteins isolated from Amaranthus, Capsicum, Briza and related species are provided. The proteins show a wide range of antifungal activity and are active against Gram-positive bacteria. DNA encoding the proteins may be isolated and incorporated into vectors. Plants may be transformed with this DNA. The proteins find agricultural or pharmaceutical application as antifungal or antibacterial agents. Transgenic plants expressing the protein will show increased disease resistance.

Biocidal proteins

Biocidal proteins isolated from seeds have been characterised, in particular proteins isolated from members of the Brassicaceae, Compositae and Leguminosae families including Raphanus, Brassica, Sinapis, Arabidopsis, Dahlia, Cnicus, Lathyrus and Clitoria. The proteins show a wide range of antifungal activity and some are active against Gram-positive bacteria. All share a common amino acid sequence. DNA encoding the proteins has been isolated and incorporated into vectors. Plants transformed with this DNA may be produced. The proteins find commercial application as antifungal or antibacterial agents; transformed plants will show increased disease-resistance.

Antimicrobial proteins are isolated from seeds of Impatiens, and show a wide range of antifungal activity and some antibacterial activity. DNA encoding the proteins is isolated and incorporated into vectors. Plants transformed with this DNA are produced. The invention further provides a method of expressing polyproteins in transgenic plants using DNA constructs based on the structure of the gene encoding the Impatiens antimicrobial proteins.

DNA encoding antimicrobial proteins from impatiens

Antimicrobial proteins capable of isolation from seeds of Heuchera or Aesculus show a wide range of antifungal activity and some activity against Gram-positive bacteria. DNA encoding the proteins may be isolated and incorporated into vectors. Plants transformed with this DNA may be produced. The proteins find commercial application as antifungal or antibacterial agents; transformed plants will show increased disease-resistance.

Transformed plants expressing antimicrobial proteins

Antimicrobial proteins from aralia and impatiens

Antimicrobial proteins

Growing community of inventors

Middlesex, United Kingdom

Rupert W Osborn