Zeneca Limited

Syngenta Corporation

Imperial Chemical Industries Limited

Zeneca Agrochemicals

Sarah Bronwen Rees

Willem F Broekaert

Jozef Vanderleyden

Bruno Philippe Cammue

Rupert W Osborn

Genoveva Wivina De Samblanx

Miguel De Bolle

Franky Rg Terras

John Anthony Ray

Ravindra Haribhai Tailor

Bruno Pa Cammue

Wouter Cornelis Puijk

Robbert Hans Meloen

Franky Fant

Frans Borremans

Aart Van Amerongen

Wilhelmus Martinus Maria Schaaper

Lolke Sijtsma

Sheila Attenborough

Wilhelmus Martinus Josef Van Gelder

Bruno Philippe Angelo Cammue

Bruno Phillippe Cammue

Shelia Attenborough

Bruno P A Cammue

Franky R G Terras

Antifungal proteins which are analogues of the Rs-AFP2 protein and contain particular mutations in their amino acid sequence. The mutated proteins possess enhanced salt-tolerant antifungal activity. The proteins are useful for combating fungal diseases in agricultural, pharmaceutical or preservative applications.

Antifungal proteins

Antifungal peptides which comprise at least six amino acid residues identical to a run of amino acid residues found between position 21 and position 51 of the Rs-AFP2 antifungal protein sequence or of substantially homologous protein sequences. The peptides are useful for combating fungal diseases in agricultural, pharmaceutical or preservative applications.

Antifungal peptides and composition thereof

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

Transgenic plants expressing biocidal proteins

Biocidal proteins isolated from Mirabilis have been characterized. The proteins show a wide range of antifungal activity and are active against gram-positive bacteria. DNA encoding the proteins has been isolated and incorporated into vectors. Plants transformed with this DNA have been produced. The proteins find commercial application as antifungal or antibacterial agents; transformed plants will show increased disease-resistance.

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.

Growing community of inventors

Bracknell, United Kingdom

Sarah Bronwen Rees