Transgenic plants having non-pathogen induced systemic acquired resistance (SAR)

US6630618B2 · kind B2 · utility

Assignees

• The United States of America, as represented by the Secretary of Agriculture · US
• The Regents of the University of California · US

Inventors

• Barbara Baker · Richmond, US
• Savithramma Puttaswamy Dinesh-Kumar · New Haven, US

Key dates

• Filing date: Mar 21, 2001
• Grant date: Oct 7, 2003
• Expiry date: Mar 29, 2021

Classification

• Technology area (CPC C): Chemistry; Metallurgy
• CPC primary: C07K14/415
• WIPO field: Biotechnology
• WIPO sector: Chemistry

Abstract

The present invention discloses the production of transgenic plants that exhibit a systemic acquired resistance (SAR) response even in the absence of an infecting pathogen. The transgenic plants are produced by a method comprising obtaining a plant having a first nucleic acid molecule encoding one or more protein products of the N gene sufficient to confer resistance to a phytopathogen and introducing into the genome of said plant a second nucleic acid molecule encoding the TIR domain of the N gene, wherein co-expression of the first and second nucleic acid molecules is sufficient to produce a systemic acquired resistance response in the plant in the absence of an infecting pathogen. The invention encompasses such plants, methods and biological molecules useful for producing the plants, and methods for increasing the disease resistance of plants.