Genetic approach for achieving ultra low nicotine content in tobacco
AssigneesNorth Carolina State University, 22nd Century Limited, LLC
InventorsRamsey S. Lewis, Ralph E. Dewey, Juan Sanchez Tamburrino
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Abstract
The present invention relates to tobacco products from plants comprising mutated berberine bridge enzyme-like nucleic acids and the recessive nic1 and/or nic2 alleles and methods of making the same.
Claims18
A cured tobacco leaf from a Nicotiana plant, wherein the Nicotiana plant
- (1) comprises one or both of the homozygous recessive nic1 and nic2 alleles and
- (2) comprises BBLa, BBLb, and BBLc genes that are altered, relative to wild type, so as to reduce the activity of BBLa, BBLb, and BBLc or to reduce the expression of a nucleic acid encoding BBLa, a nucleic acid encoding BBLb, and a nucleic acid encoding BBLc, such that the nicotinic alkaloid content of the Nicotiana plant is reduced as compared to a control Nicotiana plant.
A method of producing a Nicotiana plant having reduced nicotinic alkaloid content, comprising combining in a Nicotiana plant:
- (A) a modification that reduces the activity of BBLa, BBLb, and BBLc or reduces expression of a nucleic acid encoding BBLa, a nucleic acid encoding BBLb, and a nucleic acid encoding BBLc;
- and
- (B) a homozygous recessive allele of nic1 or a homozygous recessive allele of nic1 and a homozygous recessive allele of nic2, wherein the Nicotiana plant has a nicotinic alkaloid content that is reduced as compared to a plant that is modified per (A) only (e.g., not modified per (A) and (B)).
A tobacco product comprising tobacco from a Nicotiana plant, wherein the Nicotiana plant comprises:
- (A) a modification that reduces the activity of BBLa, BBLb, and BBLc or reduces expression of a nucleic acid encoding BBLa, a nucleic acid encoding BBLb, and a nucleic acid encoding BBLc;
- and
- (B) a homozygous recessive allele of nic1 or a homozygous recessive allele of nic1 and a homozygous recessive allele of nic2,
- wherein the Nicotiana plant has a nicotinic alkaloid content that is reduced as compared to a plant that is modified per (A) only (e.g., not modified per (A) and (B)).
A method of improving the yield of a Nicotiana plant comprising:
- (A) a modification that reduces the activity of BBLa, BBLb, and BBLc or reduces expression of a nucleic acid encoding BBLa, a nucleic acid encoding BBLb, and a nucleic acid encoding BBLc;
- and
- (B) a homozygous recessive allele of nic1 or a homozygous recessive allele of nic1 and a homozygous recessive allele of nic2,
- the method comprising:
- (a) fertilizing seedlings in a substrate at a stage of about 90% germination, wherein the fertilizing is carried out through fertigation, and, optionally, the concentration of N in the fertilizer is about 200 ppm;
- (b) applying a plastic mulch treatment to the seedlings;
- and
- (c) applying to the seedlings nitrogen at a rate of about 90-120 lbs/acre N total at about 4 to 5 weeks after transplanting, at about 6 to 7 weeks after transplanting, and at about 8 to 9 weeks after transplanting to provide increased yield and quality of the Nicotiana plant.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.