Method for decreasing alkaloid content of a tobacco plant
AssigneeBritish American Tobacco (Investments) Limited
InventorsSara Ben Khaled, Francisco Anastacio De Abreu E Lima
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Abstract
The present invention relates to a method of reducing the content of at least one tobacco specific nitrosamine (TSNA) precursor in tobacco, the method comprising modulating the activity or expression of at least one gene encoding a Walls are thin 1-related (WAT1-related) protein.
Claims7
A method of decreasing the alkaloid content of a tobacco plant or a part thereof, or a tobacco plant cell or cell culture, the method comprising modifying said plant or plant cell by reducing the activity or expression of at least one gene encoding a Walls are thin 1-related (WAT1-related) protein,
- wherein
- i) the alkaloid content that is decreased is pseudooxynicotine (PON);
- ii) the at least one gene encoding a WAT1-related protein encodes a polypeptide which comprises an amino acid sequence as set out in SEQ ID NO:
- 1, 4, 7, 10, 13, 16, 19, 22, 25 or 28 or a functional variant which comprises two or more EamA domains, or a sequence which has at least 95% identity to SEQ ID NO:
- 1, 4, 7, 10, 13, 16, 19, 22, 25 or 28 and which comprises two or more EamA domains;
- or
- the at least one gene encoding a WAT1-related protein comprises a nucleotide sequence as set out in SEQ ID NO:
- 2, 3, 5, 6, 8, 9, 11, 12, 14, 15, 17, 18, 20, 21, 23, 24, 26, 27, 29 or 30 or a functional variant which encodes two or more EamA domains, or a sequence which has at least 95% identity to SEQ ID NO:
- 2, 3, 5, 6, 8, 9, 11, 12, 14, 15, 17, 18, 20, 21, 23, 24, 26, 27, 29 or 30 and which encodes two or more EamA domains;
- wherein each EamA domain comprises an amino acid sequence shown as SEQ ID NO. 32, 33, 34 or 35, or a sequence which has at least 80% identity to SEQ ID NO. 32, 33, 34 or 35;
- and
- iii) the alkaloid content is decreased in comparison to a plant or cell which has not been modified to reduce the activity or expression of the at least one gene encoding the WAT1-related protein.
A tobacco plant or part thereof or tobacco plant propagation material obtained therefrom or tobacco cell or cell culture which has been modified to achieve a decrease in alkaloid content in comparison to an unmodified plant or unmodified cell, wherein the modification is reduction of the activity or expression of at least one gene encoding a WAT1-related protein,
- wherein
- i) said plant or part thereof or plant propagation material obtained therefrom or cell or cell culture has said modification;
- ii) the alkaloid content that is decreased is pseudooxynicotine (PON);
- iii) the at least one gene encoding a WAT1-related protein encodes a polypeptide which comprises an amino acid sequence as set out in SEQ ID NO:
- 1, 4, 7, 10, 13, 16, 19, 22, 25 or 28 or a functional variant thereof which comprises two or more EamA domains, or a sequence which has at least 90% identity to SEQ ID NO:
- 1, 4, 7, 10, 13, 16, 19, 22, 25 or 28 and which comprises two or more EamA domains;
- or
- the at least one gene encoding a WAT1-related protein comprises a nucleotide sequence as set out in SEQ ID NO:
- 2, 3, 5, 6, 8, 9, 11, 12, 14, 15, 17, 18, 20, 21, 23, 24, 26, 27, 29 or 30 or a functional variant which encodes two or more EamA domains, or a sequence which has at least 95% identity to SEQ ID NO:
- 2, 3, 5, 6, 8, 9, 11, 12, 14, 15, 17, 18, 20, 21, 23, 24, 26, 27, 29 or 30 and which encodes two or more EamA domains;
- wherein each EamA domain comprises an amino acid sequence shown as SEQ ID NO. 32, 33, 34 or 35, or a sequence which has at least 80% identity to SEQ ID NO. 32, 33, 34 or 35;
- and
- iv) the alkaloid content is decreased in comparison to a plant or plant cell which has not been modified to reduce the activity or expression of the at least one gene encoding a WAT1-related protein.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.