# US 10,870,860 B2 · Genetic reduction of male fertility in plants

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- Number: US 10,870,860 B2
- Document ID: US10870860B2
- Status: Granted
- Kind: B2
- Application number: 16/194,706
- Filed: 2018-11-19
- Published: 2019-07-11
- Granted: 2020-12-22
- Earliest claimed: 2012-03-13
- Assignees: Pioneer Hi-Bred International, Inc.; E. I. Du Pont de Nemours and Company
- Applicants: Pioneer Hi-Bred International, Inc.; E. I. Du Pont De Nemours and Company
- Inventors: Marc C Albertsen; Tim Fox; April L Leonard; Bailin Li; Brian R Loveland; Mary Trimnell
- Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US10870860B2

## CPC

- C12N 15/8231: {Male-specific, e.g. anther, tapetum, pollen}
- C07K 14/415: from plants
- C12N 15/8221: {Transit peptides}
- C12N 15/8222: {Developmentally regulated expression systems, tissue, organ specific, temporal or spatial regulation}
- C12N 15/8257: {for the production of primary gene products, e.g. pharmaceutical products, interferon}
- C12N 15/8261: {with agronomic (input) traits, e.g. crop yield}
- C12N 15/8271: {for stress resistance, e.g. heavy metal resistance}
- C12N 15/8273: {for drought, cold, salt resistance}
- A01H 6/4684: {Zea mays [maize]}
- C12N 15/8289: {Male sterility}
- Y02A 40/146: Genetically Modified [GMO] plants, e.g. transgenic plants
- C12N: MICROORGANISMS OR ENZYMES; COMPOSITIONS THEREOF; PROPAGATING, PRESERVING, OR MAINTAINING MICROORGANISMS; MUTATION OR GENETIC ENGINEERING; CULTURE MEDIA (microbiological testing media C12Q1/00)
- C07K: PEPTIDES (peptides in foodstuffs A23; obtaining protein compositions for foodstuffs, working-up proteins for foodstuffs A23J; preparations for medicinal purposes A61K; peptides containing beta-lactam rings C07D; cyclic dipeptides not having in their molecule any other peptide link than those which form their ring, e.g. piperazine-2,5-diones, C07D; ergot alkaloids of the cyclic peptide type C07D519/02; macromolecular compounds having statistically distributed amino acid units in their molecules, i.e. when the preparation does not provide for a specific; but for a random sequence of the amino acid units, homopolyamides and block copolyamides derived from amino acids C08G69/00; macromolecular products derived from proteins C08H1/00; preparation of glue or gelatine C09H; single cell proteins, enzymes C12N; genetic engineering processes for obtaining peptides C12N15/00; compositions for measuring or testing processes involving enzymes C12Q; investigation or analysis of biological material G01N33/00)
- A01H: NEW PLANTS OR {NON-TRANSGENIC} PROCESSES FOR OBTAINING THEM; PLANT REPRODUCTION BY TISSUE CULTURE TECHNIQUES
- Y02A: TECHNOLOGIES FOR ADAPTATION TO CLIMATE CHANGE

## Abstract

A nuclear maize gene is mutated to result in dominant male sterility. Two mutants are provided which impact signal peptide processing. Restoration constructs and methods are provided for use of the dominant male-sterile mutants in producing hybrid seed for male-sterile hybrid plants. Other signal-peptide modifications are provided. Orthologs of the wild type or mutated gene in various species are provided.

## Claims

### Claim 1

A DNA construct comprising an isolated regulatory region of a maize Ms44 gene, wherein the Ms44 regulatory region is operably-linked to a heterologous polynucleotide of interest, wherein the Ms44 regulatory region initiates transcription of the heterologous polynucleotide of interest in a plant cell.

### Claim 2 (depends on 1)

The DNA construct of claim 1, wherein the Ms44 regulatory region initiates transcription in a plant cell in a male-tissue preferred manner.

### Claim 3 (depends on 1)

The DNA construct of claim 1, wherein the Ms44 regulatory region comprises the regulatory region within each of SEQ ID NO: 9 or 13.

### Claim 4 (depends on 1)

The DNA construct of claim 1, wherein the heterologous polynucleotide of interest encodes a marker.

### Claim 5 (depends on 1)

The DNA construct of claim 1, wherein the heterologous polynucleotide of interest encodes a gene product that confers drought tolerance, cold tolerance, herbicide tolerance, pathogen resistance, or insect resistance to the plant.

### Claim 6 (depends on 1)

The DNA construct of claim 1, wherein the Ms44 regulatory region initiates transcription of the heterologous polynucleotide of interest in a monocot plant cell.

### Claim 7 (depends on 6)

The DNA construct of claim 6, wherein the Ms44 regulatory region initiates transcription of the heterologous polynucleotide of interest in a maize plant cell.

### Claim 8 (depends on 1)

The DNA construct of claim 1, wherein the Ms44 regulatory region initiates transcription of the heterologous polynucleotide of interest in a dicot plant cell.

### Claim 9 (depends on 1)

A vector or expression cassette, each comprising the DNA construct of claim 1.

### Claim 10 (depends on 1)

A plant cell comprising the DNA construct of claim 1.

### Claim 11 (depends on 10)

The plant cell of claim 10, wherein the plant cell is a monocot plant cell.

### Claim 12 (depends on 10)

The plant cell of claim 10, wherein the plant cell is a dicot plant cell.