Yissum Research Development Company of the Hebrew University of Jerusalem Ltd.

Futuragene Israel Ltd.

Other

Ziv Shani

Oded Shoseyov

Shaul Lapidot

Daniel L Siegel

Dror Avisar

Hanan Stein

Miron Abramson

Etai Shpigel

Mara Dekel

Noga Barimboim

Etai Shpiegl

The present invention relates to the field of RNA-mediated gene silencing in insect species. The present invention is based, in part, on the inventors' sequencing of genes frominvasive species Bronze bug pest,. In certain aspects, the invention provides Bronze bug nucleic acids, derivatives thereof and the use of such nucleic acids and derivatives as Bronze bug control agents.

Bronze bug control agents

The present invention provides a bio-fuel, wood or other product, such as a paper, textile or yarn product. The product can contain material from a transgenic plant over-expressing a nucleic acid molecule encoding an enzyme that causes the plant cell wall to be more water soluble than the wild type.

Transgenic plants containing soluble cell wall polysaccharides

The present invention relates to the field of RNA-mediated gene silencing in insect species. The present invention is based, in part, on the inventors' sequencing of genes frominvasive species gall wasp pests(Li) and(Om). In certain aspects, the invention provides Li and Om nucleic acids, derivatives thereof and the use of such nucleic acids and derivatives as gall wasp control agents.

Gall wasp control agents

The invention relates to stinging cells or isolated capsules and to their use in compositions and methods for efficient delivery of biologically active agents into a plant cell or plant tissue. The biologically active agent to be delivered by the methods of the present invention is selected from a nucleic acid, a peptide, a polypeptide, a plant hormone, an enzyme, an herbicidal agent, an anti-viral agent, an anti-bacterial agent and an anti-fungal agent. Particularly, the invention is related to compositions and methods for the efficient transformation of polynucleotide construct into a plant cell or tissue, to obtain transgenic plants.

Compositions and methods comprising stinging capsules/cells for delivering a biologically active agent into a plant cell

A process of expressing a recombinant protein in a plant and of isolating the recombinant protein from the plant, the process is effected by (a) providing a plant, a plant derived tissue or cultured plant cells expressing a fusion protein including the recombinant protein and a cellulose binding peptide being fused thereto, the fusion protein being compartmentalized within cells of the plant, plant derived tissue or cultured plant cells, so as to be sequestered from cell walls of the cells of the plant, plant derived tissue or cultured plant cells; (b) homogenizing the plant, plant derived tissue or cultured plant cells, so as to bring into contact the fusion protein with a cellulosic matter of the plant, plant derived tissue or cultured plant cells, to thereby effect affinity binding of the fusion protein via the cellulose binding peptide to the cellulosic matter, thereby obtaining a fusion protein cellulosic matter complex; and (c) isolating the fusion protein cellulosic matter complex.

Process of expressing and isolating recombinant proteins and recombinant protein products from plants, plant derived tissues or cultured plant cells

The present invention discloses genetically engineered plants which display altered structure or morphology. The transgenic plants express a cell wall modulation transgene or gene construct that results in the altered structure or morphology. The altered structure or morphology can be associated with, for example, altered biomass, growth, yield, greater or less resistance to biodegradation, more or less digestible to ruminants, altered cellulose content, larger leaves/normal hypocotyls or smaller leaves/longer hypocotyls, etc. compared to a non-transgenic plant of the same species. The cell wall modulation transgene can be any cellulose binding domain, a cellulose binding protein, or a cell wall modifying protein or enzyme such as endoxyloglucan transferase, xyloglucan endo-transglycosylase, an expansin, cellulose synthase, or a novel isolated endo-1,4-&bgr;-glucanase of,. The invention also discloses transgenic plants containing a gene construct comprising a promoter operably linked to the cell wall modulation protein or polypeptide gene and may further comprise a sequence encoding a secretion signal peptide. In particular, the invention discloses transgenic plants containing a gene construct comprising the cel1 promoter, operably linked to the cel1 signal peptide and any cellulose binding domain. Methods for modulating plant growth by transgenic expression of a cell wall modulating protein or polypeptide are also disclosed. The present invention also discloses a novel, isolated,endo-1,4-&bgr;-glucanase gene (cel1), its promoter (cel1 promoter) and polypeptide (Cel1) and recombinant nucleic acid vectors containing the cel1 gene with or without a secretion signal peptide sequence and/or the cel1 promoter.

Vectors containing nucleic acids coding for Arabidopsis thaliana endo-1,4-&bgr;-glucanase secretion signal peptide

The present invention discloses genetically engineered plants which display altered structure or morphology. The transgenic plants express a cell wall modulation transgene or gene construct that results in the altered structure or morphology. The altered structure or Morphology can be associated with, for example, altered biomass, growth, yield, greater or less resistance to biodegradation, more or less digestible to ruminants, altered cellulose content, larger leaves/normal hypocotyls or smaller leaves/longer hypocotyls, etc. compared to a non-transgenic plant of the same species. The cell wall modulation transgene can be any cellulose binding domain, a cellulose binding protein, or a cell wall modifying protein or enzyme such as endoxyloglucan transferase, xyloglucan endo-transglycosylase, an expansin, cellulose synthase, or a novel isolated endo-1,4-&bgr;-glucanase of,The invention also discloses transgenic plants containing a gene construct comprising a promoter operably linked to the cell wall modulation protein or polypeptide gene and may further comprise a sequence encoding a secretion signal peptide. In particular, the invention discloses transgenic plants containing a gene construct comprising the cel,promoter, operably linked to the cel1 signal peptide and any cellulose binding domain. Methods for modulating plant growth by transgenic expression of a cell wall modulating protein or polypeptide are also disclosed. The present invention also discloses a novel, isolated,endo-1,4-&bgr;-glucanase gene (cel1), its promoter (cel1 promoter) and polypeptide (Cel1) and recombinant nucleic acid vectors containing the cel,gene with or without a secretion signal peptide sequence and/or the cel1 promoter.

Transgenic plants of altered morphology

The present invention discloses genetically engineered plants which display altered structure or morphology. The transgenic plants express a cell wall modulation transgene or gene construct that results in the altered structure or morphology. The altered structure or morphology can be associated with, for example, altered biomass, growth, yield, greater or less resistance to biodegradation, more or less digestible to ruminants, altered cellulose content, larger leaves/normal hypocotyls or smaller leaves/longer hypocotyls, etc. compared to a non-transgenic plant of the same species. The cell wall modulation transgene can be any cellulose binding domain, a cellulose binding protein, or a cell wall modifying protein or enzyme such as endoxyloglucan transferase, xyloglucan endo-transglycosylase, an expansin, cellulose synthase, or a novel isolated endo-1,4-.beta.-glucanase of Arabidopsis thaliana. The invention also discloses transgenic plants containing a gene construct comprising a promoter operably linked to the cell wall modulation protein or polypeptide gene and may further comprise a sequence encoding a secretion signal peptide. In particular, the invention discloses transgenic plants containing a gene construct comprising the cel1 promoter, operably linked to the cel1 signal peptide and any cellulose binding domain. Methods for modulating plant growth by transgenic expression of a cell wall modulating protein or polypeptide are also disclosed. The present invention also discloses a novel, isolated Arabidopsis thaliana endo-1,4-.beta.-glucanase gene (cel1), its promoter (cel1 promoter) and polypeptide (Cel1) and recombinant nucleic acid vectors containing the cel1 gene with or without a secretion signal peptide sequence and/or the cel1 promoter.

Growing community of inventors

Mazkeret Batia, Israel

Ziv Shani