Chemistry: molecular biology and microbiology – Treatment of micro-organisms or enzymes with electrical or... – Modification of viruses
Patent
1994-01-24
1996-07-23
Moody, Patricia R.
Chemistry: molecular biology and microbiology
Treatment of micro-organisms or enzymes with electrical or...
Modification of viruses
4352404, 4353201, 536 241, 800205, C12N 1582, C07H 2104, A01H 500
Patent
active
055388795
DESCRIPTION:
BRIEF SUMMARY
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates to an expression cassette and plasmids containing this expression cassette. The DNA sequence of the expression cassette contains a transcriptional regulatory starter region, that ensures a specific gene expression in the guard cell of the leaves of plants, and no expression in mesophyllic cells or epidermal cells of the leaves. The invention further relates to a process for the preparation of transgenic plant cells, which contain sequences of the expression cassette as well as the use of the plasmids containing expression cassette for the preparation of transgenic plants.
Because of the continual growth in world population, there is a continual growing demand for nutrient and raw materials and, because of the foreseeable long-term limitation of agricultural land, it is the continuing task of biotechnological research to strive for the production of high yielding ecologically acceptable crops. To achieve this, the metabolism of plants has to be modified. This can be achieved, among other ways, by altering the DNA in the cell nucleus. The process for genetic modification of dicotyledenous and monocotyledenous is already known, (see for example Fraley, R. T. (1989) Science 244: 1293-1299; and Potrykus (1991) Ann Rev Plant Mol Biol Plant Physiol 42: 205-225).
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
With the present invention it is possible to influence the transpiration process and the gas exchange of a plant in regard to the increase of yield through manipulation of the genes which are expressed specifically in guard cells. This is not practicable using known expression systems because of the wide-ranging consequences of a non-guard cell specific gene expression for the total material exchange of the plant. An increase in yield of crop plants can be achieved by changing the photosynthesis activity of plants or by reducing the water needs. For this the guard cells of the epidermis of the leaf tissue are a valuable starting point.
Guard cells are specific kidney-shaped cells of that part of the epidermis which is above ground and in the air surrounding the green parts of higher plants and which are arranged in pairs and have a gap (hole) between each other. The stomata interrupts the otherwise continuous film of epidermis cells and causes the connection between the outer air and the intercellular system. In most plants the pore area resulting from the open holes occupies around 0.5 to 1.5% of the leaf area. Owing to their special formation, guard cells can so regulate their shape through active turgidity changes that the hole between them closes or opens. The openings are thus regulators of exchange, especially transpiration. The guard cells therefore have the task to so regulate the diffusion resistance, that the water demand through transpiration and CO.sub.2 uptake for photosynthetic or darkness-CO.sub.2 fixation, is in an appropriate relationship for the particular requirements. The opening or closing of the guard cells is led back to a change in the turgidity in the guard cells themselves and with it to the building up of a difference of the turgidity in the guard cells to that in the bordering epidermal cells (neighbouring cells).
Guard cells control the gas exchange between carbon dioxide uptake and transpiration (expiration of water vapour). Besides the concentration of carbon dioxide and the phytohormones, a constituent of the control system is the concentration of dissolved substances since these lead via changes in turgidity to the opening and closing of the holes. Since the changes of concentration in dissolved substances have wide-reaching consequences for the metabolism of plants, whether this occurs in tissues or cells, it is desirable to allow these changes only in certain areas of plants or during a certain time period in the plant growth cycle. It should be especially possible to achieve a change in carbon dioxide content or in the content of osmotically active substance of the guard cells thereby influencing the gas exchange and which is independ
REFERENCES:
Dupree et al 191 (Jul.) The Plant Journal 1(1): 115-120.
Outlaw et al 1984 Plant Physiol 74:424-429.
Terryn et al 1993 (Dec.) The Plant Cell 5:1761-1769.
Muller-Rober et al 1994 The Plant Cell 6:601-612.
Samac, D. A., et al, "Developmental and Pathogen-Induced Activation of the Arabidopsis Acidic Chitinase Promoter", The Plant Cell, vol. 3, No. 10, Oct. 1991, Rockville, Maryland, pp. 1063-1072.
Mueller-Roeber, B. T., et al, "One of Two Different ADP-Glucose Pyrophosphorylase Genes From Potato Responds Strongly to Elevated Levels of Sucrose", Molecular & General Genetics, vol. 224, 1990, pp. 136-146.
Nakata, P. A., et al, "Comparison of the Primary Sequences of Two Potato Tuber ADP-Glucose Pyrophosphorylase Subunits", Plant Molecular Biology, vol. 17, No. 5, Nov. 1991, Dordrecht, The Netherlands, pp. 1089-1094.
Anderson, J. M., et al, "Molecular Characterization of the Gene Encoding a Rice Endosperm-Specific ADP Glucose Pyrophosphorylase Subunit and its Developmental Pattern of Transcription", Gene, vol. 97, No. 2, 1991, Amsterdam, The Netherlands, pp. 199-206.
Muller-Rober Bernd
Sonnewald Uwe
Willmitzer Lothar
Institut fur Genbiologische Forschung Berlin GmbH
Moody Patricia R.
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