Production of Plants with Decreased Nitrite Content
OwnerSusie Davenport, Martin Maundersinventors
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Abstract
The present invention relates in one aspect to a method for producing a transgenic plant, comprising introducing into an unmodified plant an exogenous gene encoding a nitrite reductase, wherein expression of the nitrite reductase encoded by the exogenous gene reduces nitrite content in the transgenic plant relative to the unmodified plant. Also provided are transgenic plants and plant cells comprising an exogenous gene encoding a nitrite reductase, as well as associated uses, chimaeric genes and plant transformation vectors.
Claims54
A method for producing a transgenic plant, comprising introducing into an unmodified plant an exogenous gene encoding a nitrite reductase, wherein expression of the nitrite reductase encoded by the exogenous gene reduces nitrite content in the transgenic plant relative to the unmodified plant.
A method according to any preceding claim, wherein the exogenous gene is a heterologous gene encoding a nitrite reductase derived from a species different to that of the unmodified plant.
A method according to any preceding claim, wherein the exogenous gene is derived from a donor plant of the genus Arabidopsis.
A method according to any preceding claim, wherein the nitrite reductase encoded by the exogenous gene has less than 90% amino acid sequence identity with a nitrite reductase encoded by an endogenous gene in the unmodified plant.
A method according to any preceding claim, wherein the exogenous gene encoding the nitrite reductase is associated with a promoter sequence capable of directing constitutive expression of the exogenous gene in the plant.
A method according to any preceding claim, wherein a primary transgenic plant is generated by introduction of the exogenous gene, and a secondary transgenic plant is produced from the primary transgenic plant.
A method according to any preceding claim, wherein a primary transgenic plant generated by introduction of the exogenous gene contains a single copy of the exogenous gene.
A method according to any preceding claim, wherein the nitrite reductase encoded by the exogenous gene is expressed in leaves of the transgenic plant.
A method according to any preceding claim, wherein nitrite content of the transgenic plant is reduced by at least 10% relative to an unmodified plant.
A method according to any preceding claim, wherein a plurality of transgenic plants are generated by independent transformation of a plurality of unmodified plants with the exogenous gene.
A transgenic plant comprising an exogenous gene encoding a nitrite reductase, wherein nitrite content in the plant is reduced compared to an unmodified plant.
Use of an exogenous nucleic acid sequence encoding a nitrite reductase for reducing nitrite content in a plant by transformation of the plant with the exogenous nucleic acid sequence.
A chimaeric gene comprising (a) a nucleic acid sequence encoding a nitrite reductase, and (b) a promoter sequence capable of directing expression of the nitrite reductase in a plant comprising the chimaeric gene;
- excluding:
- (i) a chimaeric gene comprising a nucleic acid sequence encoding a nitrite reductase derived from Nicotiana tabacum or Spinacia oleracea and a cauliflower mosaic virus 35S promoter;
- and (ii) a chimaeric gene comprising a nucleic acid sequence encoding a nitrite reductase derived from Oryza sativa.
A plant cell comprising an exogenous gene encoding a nitrite reductase, wherein nitrite content in the plant cell is reduced compared to an unmodified plant cell.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.