Multicellular living organisms and unmodified parts thereof and – Method of introducing a polynucleotide molecule into or...
Reexamination Certificate
1998-03-10
2001-10-30
Smith, Lynette R. F. (Department: 1638)
Multicellular living organisms and unmodified parts thereof and
Method of introducing a polynucleotide molecule into or...
C800S288000, C800S298000, C800S301000, C435S468000, C435S410000, C435S419000, C435S418000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06310272
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a stress resistant plant and a method for producing the stress resistant plant. More specifically, the present invention relates to the breeding of a stress resistant plant by introducing a cell death suppressing gene into a plant.
2. Description of the Related Art
Today, research on programmed cell death (hereinafter, simply referred to as “PCD”) of multicellular organisms has become enthusiastic. PCD is appreciated as essential to ontogenesis, homeostasis, resistance to environmental stresses, or the like of an organism. Research on PCD is mainly performed on
Caenorhabditis elegans
(hereinafter, simply referred to as “
C. elegans
”), drosophila and mammals (e.g., Miura et al.,
Cell Technology,
vol. 14, No. 2:145-153, 1995). For example, research on
C. elegans
revealed some cell death genes (e.g., ced-3 and ced-4) and some cell death suppressing genes (e.g., ced-9). The cell death suppressing genes are considered to negatively regulate activities of the cell death genes, thereby suppressing random cell death.
A protein encoded by a bc1-2 gene found in mammals (i.e., a Bcl-2 protein) exhibits a cell death suppressing activity in cells of various systems (i.e., cells of lymphoid system, nervous system, reproductive system and epithelial system). So far, cell death which may be induced by various processes is known to be suppressed by overexpression of Bcl-2 (e.g., Eguchi et al.,
Experimental Medicine,
vol. 13, No. 16, 18-23, 1995).
Recently, many genes encoding for Bcl-2 related protein and Bcl-2 binding protein are reported. These genes are classified into a Bcl-2 family. Examples of genes belonging to the Bcl-2 family include bcl-2, bax, bcl-xL, bcl-xS, bad, bak, Al and Mcl-1 genes derived from mammals, a ced-9 gene derived from
C. elegans,
and a BHRF1 gene (derived from Epstein-Barr virus) and a LMW5-HL gene (derived from African Swine Fever virus) (Takayama,
Experimental Medicine,
vol. 13, No. 16, 24-31, 1995). Generally, it is known in the art that identity and similarity among the genes belonging to the Bcl-2 family are very low at a nucleic acid sequence level and also at an amino acid sequence level. For example, identity between Bax&agr; and Bcl-2 is about 21% and similarity therebetween is about 43% at their amino acid sequence level (Yamamoto, “Intercellular Signal Transduction”,
Experimental Medicine, supp.,
Adduce Co., Ltd.).
Study on PCD of higher plants has just begun recently (see Fukuda et al.,
Kagaku TO Seibutsu,
34:586-594, 1996). Plants are always exposed to severe stresses. For example, a plant may be infected with virus or bacteria, may be irradiated with UV light, or may be affected by peroxide caused by herbicide. In order to withstand these stresses, for example, in the case of a virus infection, a hypersensitive response (HR) induces PCD. The HR is characterized by the rapid appearance of necrotic lesion at the site of the infection. Although the HR involves some tissue damage, its results is to protect the plant by limiting the spread of the infection. Again, such PCD in a plant is considered to involve the cell death gene and the cell death suppressing gene.
Seeing that a cell death suppressing gene is presumably capable of negatively regulating cell death resulting from stress (i.e., capable of preventing cell death) or the like, the cell death suppressing gene is considered to have resistance against stresses. Accordingly, in breeding a plant, the plant may be conferred resistance to stresses by expressing a cell death suppressing gene. Providing a plant which is conferred resistance to environmental stresses is a vital subject in the field of agriculture. Today, the amount of UV (UV-B) light that we are actually receiving is increased by about 6.8% per decade due to destruction of the ozone layer, and the like. Apparently, plants, are also confronting this environmental problem.
However, at present, to the extent that the inventors are aware of, prior to the filing of Japanese Patent Applications Nos. 9-56743 and 10-8056 on which the present application claims priority, no study has been made to the use of a cell death suppressing gene for acquiring resistance to environmental stresses such as UV light, a herbicide which generates superoxide and salt stress.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates to a stress resistant plant in which a cell death suppressing gene is introduced. The cell death suppressing gene is introduced into DNA of plant cells by a known gene recombinant technique. The DNA of the plant cells refer to not only chromosomal DNA but also to DNA of various organelles (e.g., mitochondria, chloroplast, etc.) in the plant cells.
According to one aspect of the present invention, a stress resistant plant is provided in which a cell death suppressing gene is introduced.
In one embodiment of the present invention, the cell death suppressing gene belongs to a Bcl-2 family and encodes for a peptide having a cell death suppressing activity.
In one embodiment of the present invention, the cell death suppressing gene is a
Caenorhabditis elegans
ced-9 gene.
In one embodiment of the present invention, the cell death suppressing gene is a human bcl-xL gene.
In one embodiment of the present invention, the stress is a stress caused by UV irradiation.
In one embodiment of the present invention, the stress is a oxidative stress caused by a herbicide which generates superoxide.
In one embodiment of the present invention, the stress is a stress caused by salt.
According to another aspect of the present invention, a method for producing a stress resistant plant includes the steps of: introducing a cell death suppressing gene into a plant cell; and regenerating the plant cell in which the cell death suppressing gene is introduced into a plant body.
In one embodiment of the present invention, the cell death suppressing gene is incorporated into a plant expression vector.
Thus, the invention described herein makes possible the advantages of (1) providing a plant which is conferred resistance to various stresses by introducing a gene relating to PCD into the plant; and (2) providing a method for breeding a plant which is conferred resistance to various stresses, where a gene relating to PCD is introduced into the plant.
These and other advantages of the present invention will become apparent to those skilled in the art upon reading and understanding the following detailed description with reference to the accompanying figures.
REFERENCES:
patent: WO 98/04586 (1998-02-01), None
patent: WO 98/37755 (1998-09-01), None
patent: WO 98/39422 (1998-09-01), None
patent: WO 98/46775 (1998-10-01), None
patent: WO 98/54961 (1998-12-01), None
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Mittler, et. al.: “Inhibition of Programmed Cell Death in Tobacco Plants during a Pathogen-Induced Hypersensitive Response at Low Oxygen Pressure”The Plant Cell, 11/96; vol. 8, pp. (1991-2001).
Randy D. Allen: “Dissection of Oxidative Stress Tolerance Using Transgenic Plants”Plant Physiology(1995) vol. 107, (pp. 1049-1054).
Tarczynski, et. al.: “Stress Protection of Transgenic Tobacco by Production of the Osmolyte Mannitol”Science; Jan. 22, 1993; vol. 259 pp. (508-510).
Deping Xu, et. al.: “Expression of a Late Embryogenesis Abundant Protein Gene, HVA1, from Barley Confers Tolerance to Water Deficit and Salt Stress in Transgenic Rice1”Plant Physiology, (1996), vol. 110(1) pp. (247-257).
Dietrich, et. al.: “A Novel Zinc Finger Protein Is Encoded by the Arabidopsis LSD1 Gene and Functions as a Negative Regulator of Plant Cell Death”,Cell, Mar. 7, 1997; pp. (685-694).
Malik, et. al.: “Bcl-xL and ced-9 confer resistance to Uv and paraquat
Malik Kamal A.
Mitsuhara Ichiro
Ohashi Yuko
Director General of National Institute of Agrobiological Resourc
Smith Lynette R. F.
Townsend and Townsend / and Crew LLP
Zaghmout Ousawa M-Faiz
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