Sclerotinia-inducible genes and promoters and their uses

A plant stably transformed with a DNA construct comprising a heterologous nucleotide sequence operably linked to a promoter that is capable of initiating transcription in a plant cell, wherein said promoter comprises a nucleotide sequence selected from the group consisting of:

• a) a nucleotide sequence comprising the sequence set forth in SEQ ID NO:5 or SEQ ID NO:6;
• b) a nucleotide sequence selected from the group consisting of the sequences deposited as Patent Deposit No. PTA-2182;
• c) a nucleotide sequence comprising at least 30 contiguous nucleotides of the sequence set forth in SEQ ID NO:5 or SEQ ID NO:6;
• d) a nucleotide sequence having at least 70% sequence identity to the nucleotide sequence set forth in SEQ ID NO:5 or SEQ ID NO:6;
• e) a nucleotide sequence having at least 80% sequence identity to the nucleotide sequence set forth in SEQ ID NO:5 or SEQ ID NO:6;
• f) a nucleotide sequence having at least 90% sequence identity to the nucleotide sequence set forth in SEQ ID NO:5 or SEQ ID NO:6;
• and
• g) a nucleotide sequence that hybridizes under stringent conditions to the complement of a sequence of a), b), or c).

An isolated nucleic acid molecule having a nucleotide sequence selected from the group consisting of:

• a) the sequence set forth in SEQ ID NO:1 or SEQ ID NO:3;
• b) a nucleotide sequence selected from the group consisting of the sequences deposited as Patent Deposit No. PTA-2182;
• c) a nucleotide sequence encoding the amino acid sequence set forth in SEQ ID NO:2 or SEQ ID NO:4;
• d) a nucleotide sequence encoding the amino acid sequence encoded by a nucleotide sequence deposited as Patent Deposit No. PTA-2182;
• e) a nucleotide sequence comprising at least 16 contiguous nucleotides of a nucleotide sequence of a), b), c), or d);
• f) a nucleotide sequence having at least 70% identity with SEQ ID NO:1, wherein said nucleotide sequence encodes a polypeptide having chitinase activity;
• g) a nucleotide sequence having at least 80% identity with SEQ ID NO:1, wherein said nucleotide sequence encodes a polypeptide having chitinase activity;
• h) a nucleotide sequence having at least 90% identity with SEQ ID NO:1, wherein said nucleotide sequence encodes a polypeptide having chitinase activity;
• i) a nucleotide sequence having at least 70% identity with SEQ ID NO:3, wherein said nucleotide sequence encodes a polypeptide having lipid transfer activity;
• j) a nucleotide sequence having at least 80% identity with SEQ ID NO:3, wherein said nucleotide sequence encodes a polypeptide having lipid transfer activity;
• k) a nucleotide sequence having at least 90% identity with SEQ ID NO:3, wherein said nucleotide sequence encodes a polypeptide having lipid transfer activity;
• l) a nucleotide sequence that hybridizes under stringent conditions to the complement of a sequence of a), b), c), d), or e);
• and
• m) the complement of a nucleotide sequence of a), b), c), d), e), f), g), h), i), j), k), or 1).

A plant stably transformed with a DNA construct comprising a nucleotide sequence operably linked to a promoter that drives expression of a coding sequence in a plant cell, wherein said nucleotide sequence is selected from the group consisting of:

• a) the sequence set forth in SEQ ID NO:1 or SEQ ID NO:3;
• b) a nucleotide sequence selected from the group consisting of the sequences deposited as Patent Deposit No. PTA-2182;
• c) a nucleotide sequence encoding the amino acid sequence set forth in SEQ ID NO:2 or SEQ ID NO:4;
• d) a nucleotide sequence encoding the amino acid sequence encoded by a nucleotide sequence deposited as Patent Deposit No. PTA-2182;
• e) a nucleotide sequence comprising at least 16 contiguous nucleotides of a nucleotide sequence of a), b), c), or d);
• f) a nucleotide sequence having at least 70% identity with SEQ ID NO:1, wherein said nucleotide sequence encodes a polypeptide having chitinase activity;
• g) a nucleotide sequence having at least 80% identity with SEQ ID NO:1, wherein said nucleotide sequence encodes a polypeptide having chitinase activity;
• h) a nucleotide sequence having at least 90% identity with SEQ ID NO:1, wherein said nucleotide sequence encodes a polypeptide having chitinase activity;
• i) a nucleotide sequence having at least 70% identity with SEQ ID NO:3, wherein said nucleotide sequence encodes a polypeptide having lipid transfer activity;
• j) a nucleotide sequence having at least 80% identity with SEQ ID NO:3, wherein said nucleotide sequence encodes a polypeptide having lipid transfer activity;
• k) a nucleotide sequence having at least 90% identity with SEQ ID NO:3, wherein said nucleotide sequence encodes a polypeptide having lipid transfer activity;
• l) a nucleotide sequence that hybridizes under stringent conditions to the complement of a sequence of a), b), c), d), or e);
• and
• m) the complement of a nucleotide sequence of a), b), c), d), e), f), g), h), i), j), k), or 1).

A substantially purified protein having an amino acid sequence selected from the group consisting of:

• a) the amino acid sequence set forth in SEQ ID NO:2 or SEQ ID NO:4;
• b) an amino acid sequence encoded by the nucleotide sequence deposited as Patent Deposit No. PTA-2182;
• c) an amino acid sequence that shares at least 70% sequence identity to the amino acid sequence set forth in SEQ ID NO:2, wherein said amino acid sequence has chitinase activity;
• d) an amino acid sequence that shares at least 70% sequence identity to the amino acid sequence set forth in SEQ ID NO:4, wherein said amino acid sequence has lipid transfer activity;
• e) an amino acid sequence encoded by the nucleotide sequence set forth in SEQ ID NO:1 or SEQ ID NO:3;
• and
• f) an amino acid sequence encoded by a nucleotide sequence that hybridizes under stringent conditions to the nucleotide sequence set forth in SEQ ID NO:1, wherein said amino acid sequence has chitinase activity;
• and
• g) an amino acid sequence encoded by a nucleotide sequence that hybridizes under stringent conditions to the nucleotide sequence set forth in SEQ ID NO:3, wherein said amino acid sequence has lipid transfer activity.