Sugar transporters

A plant cell comprising an expression vector, the expression vector comprising a nucleic acid sequence coding for one or more polynucleotides that form a double-stranded RNA (dsRNA) to inhibit a nucleic acid sequence in the plant cell that codes for at least one of a SWEET4 transporter, a SWEET15 transporter, and a SWEET17 transporter, which, when said nucleic acid sequence is expressed, reduces sugar efflux out of the plant cell, wherein the plant cell is from or in soybean, rice, tomato, alfalfa, potato, pea, grasses, herbs, trees, algae, mosses, fungi, vines, ferns, bushes, barley, wheat, hops, maize, lettuce, orange, peach, citrus, lemon, lime, coconut, palm, pine, oak, cedar, mango, pineapple, rhubarb, strawberry, blackberry, blackcurrant, blueberry, raspberry, kiwi, grape, rutabaga, parsnip, sweet potato, turnip, pepper, cilantro, onion, leek, fennel, clove, avocado, cucumber, Miscanthus, poplar, sorghum, or Brachypodium, wherein the reduction in efflux of sugar out of the plant cell increases pathogen resistance of the plant cell to Botrytis cinerea.

A method of inhibiting the expression or activity of a SWEET transporter in a rice plant cell, the method comprising transforming the rice plant cell with an expression vector, the expression vector comprising a nucleic acid sequence coding for one or more polynucleotides that form a double-stranded RNA (dsRNA) to inhibit a nucleic acid sequence in the rice plant cell coding for at least one of a SWEET4 transporter, a SWEET15 transporter, and a SWEET17 transporter, wherein said nucleic acid sequence is expressed in said plant cell, which, when expressed said dsRNA is formed, wherein said dsRNA reduces glucose efflux out of the rice plant cell, wherein the reduction in efflux of sugar out of the plant cell increases pathogen resistance of the plant cell to Botrytis cinerea.

A rice plant cell comprising an expression vector, the expression vector comprising a nucleic acid sequence coding for one or more polynucleotides that form a double-stranded RNA (dsRNA) to inhibit a nucleic acid sequence in the rice plant cell that codes for at least one of a SWEET4 transporter, a SWEET15 transporter, and a SWEET17 transporter, wherein said nucleic acid sequence is expressed in said plant cell, which, when expressed, said dsRNA is formed, wherein said dsRNA reduces glucose efflux out of the rice plant cell, wherein the reduction in efflux of sugar out of the plant cell increases pathogen resistance of the plant cell to Botrytis cinerea.

A method of inhibiting the expression or activity of a SWEET transporter in a plant cell, the method comprising transforming the plant cell with an expression vector, the expression vector comprising a nucleic acid sequence coding for one or more polynucleotides that form a double-stranded RNA (dsRNA) to inhibit a nucleic acid sequence in the plant cell coding for at least one of a SWEET4 transporter, a SWEET15 transporter, and a SWEET17 transporter, wherein said nucleic acid sequence is expressed in said plant cell, which, when said nucleic acid sequence is expressed, said dsRNA is formed, wherein said dsRNA reduces sugar efflux out of the plant cell, and wherein the plant cell is from or in soybean, rice, tomato, alfalfa, potato, pea, grasses, herbs, trees, algae, mosses, fungi, vines, ferns, bushes, barley, wheat, hops, maize, lettuce, orange, peach, citrus, lemon, lime, coconut, palm, pine, oak, cedar, mango, pineapple, rhubarb, strawberry, blackberry, blackcurrant, blueberry, raspberry, kiwi, grape, rutabaga, parsnip, sweet potato, turnip, pepper, cilantro, onion, leek, fennel, clove, avocado, cucumber, Miscanthus, poplar, sorghum, or Brachypodium.

A plant cell comprising an expression vector, the expression vector comprising a nucleic acid sequence coding for one or more polynucleotides that form a double-stranded RNA (dsRNA) to inhibit a nucleic acid sequence in the plant cell that codes for at least one of a SWEET4 transporter, a SWEET15 transporter, and a SWEET17 transporter, which, when said nucleic acid sequence is expressed, reduces sugar efflux out of the plant cell, and wherein the plant cell is from or in soybean, rice, tomato, alfalfa, potato, pea, grasses, herbs, trees, algae, mosses, fungi, vines, ferns, bushes, barley, wheat, hops, maize, lettuce, orange, peach, citrus, lemon, lime, coconut, palm, pine, oak, cedar, mango, pineapple, rhubarb, strawberry, blackberry, blackcurrant, blueberry, raspberry, kiwi, grape, rutabaga, parsnip, sweet potato, turnip, pepper, cilantro, onion, leek, fennel, clove, avocado, cucumber, Miscanthus, poplar, sorghum, or Brachypodium.

A method of inhibiting the expression or activity of a SWEET transporter in a plant cell, the method comprising:

• transforming the plant cell with an expression vector comprising a nucleic acid sequence coding for one or more polynucleotides that form a double-stranded RNA (dsRNA) to inhibit a nucleic acid sequence in the plant cell coding for at least one of a SWEET4 transporter, a SWEET15 transporter, and a SWEET17 transporter, wherein said nucleic acid sequence is expressed in said plant cell, which, when said nucleic acid sequence is expressed, said dsRNA is formed, wherein said dsRNA reduces sugar efflux out of the plant cell, and
• selecting a plant having reduced efflux of sugar such that resistance to Botrytis cinerea is increased,
• wherein the plant cell is from or in soybean, rice, tomato, alfalfa, potato, pea, grasses, herbs, trees, algae, mosses, fungi, vines, ferns, bushes, barley, wheat, hops, maize, lettuce, orange, peach, citrus, lemon, lime, coconut, palm, pine, oak, cedar, mango, pineapple, rhubarb, strawberry, blackberry, blackcurrant, blueberry, raspberry, kiwi, grape, rutabaga, parsnip, sweet potato, turnip, pepper, cilantro, onion, leek, fennel, clove, avocado, cucumber, Miscanthus, poplar, sorghum, or Brachypodium, and wherein the reduction in efflux of sugar out of the plant cell increases pathogen resistance of the plant cell to Botrytis cinerea.