Nepenthesin-1 derived resistance to fungal pathogens in major crop plants

A genetically modified crop plant having a recombinant DNA construct integrated into the genome of the crop plant;

• said construct comprising a polynucleotide operably linked to a heterologous promoter, wherein:
• i. said heterologous promoter directs developing seed-specific or developing grain-specific expression of said operably linked polynucleotide, and
• ii. said polynucleotide comprises a coding sequence encoding a signal peptide N-terminally fused to a polypeptide having aspartic endoprotease activity (EC 3.4.23.12), and wherein the amino acid sequence of said polypeptide has at least 88% sequence identity to a sequence selected from the group consisting of:
• SEQ ID No.:
• 4;
• amino acid residues 30-451 of SEQ ID No:
• 6;
• amino acid residues 30-451 of SEQ ID No:
• 8;
• amino acid residues 30-451 of SEQ ID No:
• 10;
• amino acid residues 28-446 of SEQ ID No:
• 12;
• amino acid residues 27-453 of SEQ ID No.:
• 45;
• amino acid residues 32-453 of SEQ ID No.:
• 47 and amino acid residues 29-460 of SEQ ID No.:
• 49,
• wherein expression of said polynucleotide confers enhanced resistance to a fungal disease caused by a species of Fusarium and/or Aspergillus as compared to a parent plant lacking said construct from which said genetically modified crop plant was derived.