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OwnerRosane Curtis, David Buttle +6inventors
InventorsRosane Curtis, David Buttle, Jerzy Behnke, Ian Duce, Peter Shewry, Smita Kurup, Brian Kerry, Maxine Kerry
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This invention provides methods and compositions for control of nematicidal damage to economically important plants by contacting the nematodes with cysteine proteinases. The cysteine proteinases may be provided as crude plant extracts or as refined enzyme extracts. In addition, the cysteine proteinases may be provided by the plants expressing these enzymes. Furthermore, the cysteine proteinase treatment according to this invention may be utilized to potentiate the anti-nematode effects of a non-enzymatic nematicide.
A method of controlling nematode infestation of plants which comprises contacting nematodes with a plant cysteine proteinase or fragments thereof, plus an effective amount of a reducing agent to ensure activity of said cysteine proteinase.
The method according to any one of the previous claims in which said cysteine proteinase is contacted with said nematodes in the presence of a non-enzymatic nematicide.
A nematotoxic composition comprising at least one plant cysteine proteinase or active fragments thereof, a carrier and an effective amount of a reducing agent.
A vector, plasmid, phage or construct comprising a nucleic acid encoding at least one plant cysteine proteinases or functional fragments thereof, wherein expression of said proteinase in said plant is effective to inhibit growth of plant parasitic nematodes.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.