# US 2011/0274659 A1 · Biological control agent for plants

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- Number: US 2011/0274659 A1
- Document ID: US20110274659A1
- Status: Published application
- Kind: A1
- Application number: 12/662,852
- Filed: 2010-05-06
- Published: 2011-11-10
- Earliest claimed: 2010-05-06
- Assignees: Kuwait University
- Inventors: Magdy S. Montasser
- Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US20110274659A1

## CPC

- C12N 7/00: Viruses; Bacteriophages; Compositions thereof; Preparation or purification thereof (preparing medicinal viral antigen or antibody compositions, e.g. virus vaccines, A61K39/00)
- A01N 63/40: Viruses, e.g. bacteriophages
- C12N 2770/14021: Viruses as such, e.g. new isolates, mutants or their genomic sequences
- C12N: MICROORGANISMS OR ENZYMES; COMPOSITIONS THEREOF; PROPAGATING, PRESERVING, OR MAINTAINING MICROORGANISMS; MUTATION OR GENETIC ENGINEERING; CULTURE MEDIA (microbiological testing media C12Q1/00)
- A01N: PRESERVATION OF BODIES OF HUMANS OR ANIMALS OR PLANTS OR PARTS THEREOF (preservation of food or foodstuff A23); BIOCIDES, e.g. AS DISINFECTANTS, AS PESTICIDES OR AS HERBICIDES (preparations for medical, dental or toiletry purposes which kill or prevent the growth or proliferation of unwanted organisms A61K); PEST REPELLANTS OR ATTRACTANTS; PLANT GROWTH REGULATORS

## Abstract

A biological control agent for plants and a method of inoculating the plants with the biological control agent in order protect against plant disease are provided. The treatment method consists of inoculating the plant with a strain of cucumber mosaic virus (CMV), referred to as the KU1 strain, having an associated viral satellite RNA of SEQ ID NO: 1. Particularly, the KU1 strain may be used to protect plants against a particular viral strain of CMV, referred to as the KU2 strain, characterized by the associated viral satellite RNA of SEQ ID NO: 2, which causes tomato necrosis. Additionally, the KU1 strain may be used to protect against potato spindle tuber viroid (PSTV), which causes tomato stunting, fusarium wilt disease in the tomato (caused by Fusarium oxysporum f. sp. Lycopersicae), and leaf spotting disease in the tomato (caused by Alternaria alternate).

## Claims

### Claim 1

A biological control agent for plants, comprising a strain of cucumber mosaic virus having an associated satellite RNA of SEQ ID NO: 1.

### Claim 2

A method of protecting plants from disease, comprising the step of inoculating an uninfected plant with a therapeutically effective dose of a strain of cucumber mosaic virus having an associated satellite RNA of SEQ ID NO: 1.

### Claim 3 (depends on 2)

The method of protecting plants from disease according to claim 2, wherein the disease comprises a strain of cucumber mosaic virus having an associated satellite RNA of SEQ ID NO: 2.

### Claim 4 (depends on 2)

The method of protecting plants from disease according to claim 2, wherein the disease comprises infection by potato spindle tuber viroid (PSTV).

### Claim 5 (depends on 2)

The method of protecting plants from disease according to claim 2, wherein the disease comprises fusarium wilt.

### Claim 6 (depends on 2)

The method of protecting plants from disease according to claim 2, wherein the disease comprises leaf-spotting disease.

### Claim 7 (depends on 2)

The method of protecting plants from disease according to claim 2, wherein said step of inoculating comprises the steps of:
grinding the tissues of plants infected with cucumber mosaic virus having an associated satellite RNA of SEQ ID NO: 1 in a 0.01 M potassium phosphate buffer (pH 7.1); and
rubbing the leaves with the ground CMV-infected tissues over the leaves of the healthy plant with a cotton swab.

### Claim 8 (depends on 2)

The method of protecting plants from disease according to claim 2, wherein said step of inoculating comprises the steps of:
extracting total nucleic acids from the tissues of plants infected with cucumber mosaic virus having an associated satellite RNA of SEQ ID NO: 1 into an extraction solvent;
precipitating the total nucleic acids from the extraction solvent;
dissolving the precipitated total nucleic acids in distilled water to form a suspension; and
inoculating the leaves of the healthy plant with the suspension using a gloved finger.