Methods for increasing the anthocyanin content of citrus fruit
AssigneeNorfolk Plant Sciences Limited
InventorsCatherine Martin, Eugenio Butelli
Life of this patent
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Abstract
Methods are provided for making a citrus plant that is capable of producing fruit with increased levels of anthocyanins in the fruit when compared to a citrus fruit from a wild-type or control plant. Such methods involve increasing the expression of Ruby, an R2R3 Myb transcription factor, in a citrus plant, particularly in the fruit of a citrus plant. Further provided are citrus plants, citrus fruit, and citrus plant cells made by such methods, nucleic acid molecules and expression cassettes comprising nucleotide sequences that encode Ruby, and the Ruby proteins encoded thereby.
Claims20
A method for making a plant that is capable of producing a fruit with an increased level of anthocyanins, said method comprising modifying a plant so was to increase the expression of Ruby in the fruit of the plant, wherein a fruit produced by the plant comprises an increased level of anthocyanins when compared to a control fruit.
A transformed plant or plant cell comprising stably incorporated in its genome a polynucleotide construct, said polynucleotide construct comprising a promoter operably linked to a nucleotide sequence, wherein said nucleotide sequence comprises a member selected from the group consisting of:
- (a) the coding sequence set forth in SEQ ID NO:
- 1, 3, 11, or 13;
- (b) a nucleotide sequence encoding the amino acid sequence set forth in SEQ ID NO:
- 2, 4, 12, or 14;
- (c) a nucleotide sequence comprising at least 75% identity to at least one of the full-length coding sequences set forth in SEQ ID NOS:
- 1, 3, 11, and 13, wherein the nucleotide sequence encodes a polypeptide comprising Ruby transcription factor activity;
- (d) a nucleotide sequence encoding an amino acid sequence comprising at least 75% identity to at least one of the full-length amino acid sequences set forth in SEQ ID NOS:
- 2, 4, 12, and 14;
- wherein the nucleotide sequence encodes a polypeptide comprising Ruby transcription factor activity;
- (e) a fragment of any one of (a)-(d), wherein the fragment encodes a polypeptide comprising Ruby transcription factor activity;
- (f) the nucleotide sequence of any one of (a)-(e), wherein the polypeptide further comprises at least one of the motifs, DLX2RX3LX6LX3R (SEQ ID NO:
- 49) and KPXPR(S/T)F (SEQ ID NO:
- 50);
- and
- (g) a nucleotide sequence that is fully complementary to any one of (a)-(f).
An isolated nucleic acid molecule comprising a nucleotide sequence selected from the group consisting of:
- (a) the coding sequence set forth in SEQ ID NO:
- 1, 3, 11, or 13;
- (b) a nucleotide sequence encoding the amino acid sequence set forth in SEQ ID NO:
- 2, 4, 12, or 14;
- (c) a nucleotide sequence comprising at least 75% identity to at least one of the full-length coding sequences set forth in SEQ ID NOS:
- 1, 3, 11, and 13, wherein the nucleotide sequence encodes a polypeptide comprising Ruby transcription factor activity;
- (d) a nucleotide sequence encoding an amino acid sequence comprising at least 75% identity to at least one of the full-length amino acid sequences set forth in SEQ ID NOS:
- 2, 4, 12, and 14;
- wherein the nucleotide sequence encodes a polypeptide comprising Ruby transcription factor activity;
- (e) a fragment of any one of (a)-(d), wherein the fragment encodes a polypeptide comprising Ruby transcription factor activity;
- (f) the nucleotide sequence of any one of (a)-(e), wherein the polypeptide further comprises at least one of the motifs, DLX2RX3LX6LX3R (SEQ ID NO:
- 49) and KPXPR(S/T)F (SEQ ID NO:
- 50);
- and
- (g) a nucleotide sequence that is fully complementary to any one of (a)-(f).
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.