System and methods for the biocontrol of plant pathogens
AssigneePebble Labs Inc.
InventorsRichard Sayre, Karen Yin, Pedro Costa Nunes
Life of this patent
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Abstract
The inventive technology relates to novel systems, methods, and strategies for the control of plant pathogens and herbivores. The inventive technology may specifically include novel compositions, systems, and methods configured to deliver inhibitory RNA molecules to a pathogen-infected plant. In a preferred embodiment, the invention may include genetically engineered endophytic bacteria configured to deliver one or more inhibitory RNA molecules to a pathogen-infected plant. One preferred embodiment may include a novel trans-kingdom delivery of hairpin RNA targeting viral encoded proteins resulting in the reduction of viral protein accumulation levels.
Claims20
A method for the bio-control of a plant pathogen comprising the steps of:
- providing a genetically modified endophyte bacteria that is an RNaseIII mutant having suppressed RNaseIII activity relative to a wild type endophyte bacteria, wherein said genetically modified endophyte bacteria is also transformed with a nucleic acid construct comprising a polynucleotide sequence operably linked to a promoter encoding at least one small inhibitory ribonucleic acid (siRNA) that forms a double-stranded RNA (dsRNA) or a hairpin (hpRNA) directed to at least one target sequence in a plant pathogen, wherein said genetically modified endophyte bacteria is Bacillus subtilis or Bacillus cereus;
- and
- introducing said genetically modified endophyte bacteria to a plant,
- wherein said genetically modified endophyte bacteria colonizes or lives in the leaves, stem, or roots of said plant and stably expresses said dsRNA or hpRNA in said plant for a time sufficient to induce an RNA interference (RNAi) mechanism in said plant that downregulates said at least one target sequence in a plant pathogen.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.