Methods and Means to Modify Fiber Strength in Fiber-Producing Plants
AssigneeBayer CropScience AG
InventorsTony Arioli, Steven Engelen, John Jacobs, Michel Van Thournout, Stephane Bourot
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Abstract
This invention relates to the field of agriculture, more specifically to the use of molecular biology techniques to alter fiber-producing plants, particularly cotton plants, and/or accelerate breeding of such fiber-producing plants. Methods and means are provided to alter fiber qualities, such as increasing fiber strength. Methods are also provided to identify molecular markers associated with fiber strength in a population of cotton varieties and related progenitor plants.
Claims12
A non-naturally occurring Gossypium hirsutum plant, and parts and progeny thereof, characterized in that the functional expression of at least one allele of at least one fiber-specific GLUC gene that is functionally expressed during the fiber strength building phase, in particular the fiber maturation phase, of fiber development is abolished, wherein the GLUC gene is a GLUC1.1A gene encoding a GLUC protein that has at least 97% sequence identity to SEQ ID NO:
- 4.
A nucleic acid molecule encoding a non-functional GLUC1.1 protein having an amino acid sequence wherein at least one amino acid residue similar to the active site residues or to the glycosylation site residues of the GLUC1.1 protein of SEQ ID NO:
- 4 is lacking or is substituted for a non-similar amino acid residue.
A method for generating and/or selecting a non-naturally occurring Gossypium hirsutum plant, and parts and progeny thereof, wherein the functional expression of at least one allele of at least one fiber-specific GLUC gene that is functionally expressed during the fiber strength building phase, in particular the fiber maturation phase, of fiber development is abolished, comprising the step of:
- mutagenizing at least one allele of the GLUC gene, or
- introgressing at least one allele of a non-functionally expressed ortholog of the GLUC gene or at least one allele of a mutagenized GLUC gene, or
- introducing a chimeric gene comprises the following operably linked DNA elements:
- a. a plant expressible promoter,
- b. a transcribed DNA region, which when transcribed yields an inhibitory RNA molecule capable of reducing the expression of the GLUC allele, and
- c. a 3′ end region comprising transcription termination and polyadenylation signals functioning in cells of the plant,
- wherein the GLUC gene is a GLUC1.1A gene encoding a GLUC1.1A protein that has at least 97% sequence identity to SEQ ID NO:
- 4.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.