Compositions and methods for transgenic crops resistant to thaxtomins

Abstract

The present disclosure relates to compositions comprising nitroreductase enzymes; plants, plant calluses, plant seeds, and vegetables incorporating genes expressing nitroreductase enzymes; methods for stably and operably incorporating genes expressing nitroreductase enzymes into plants and plant tissues; wherein the nitroreductase enzymes are capable of reducing nitro groups on phytotoxic and/or otherwise harmful compounds such as, for example, thaxtomins, wherein the thaxtomins are secreted by plant pathogenic bacteria and/or exogenously applied as an agricultural composition such as an herbicide, and wherein reducing the nitro groups renders the thaxtomins non-damaging or reduces the level of damage from the thaxtomins to the plants expressing the nitroreductase enzymes.