Fruit with increased fruit size, antioxidants, and resistance to blossom end rot
AssigneesBoyce Thompson Institute for Plant Research, Inc., Cornell University
InventorsCarmen CATALA, Philippe NICOLAS, Richard PATTISON
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Abstract
The present disclosure is directed to methods and compositions for increasing resistance to blossom end rot in fruit, increasing fruit size, and increasing antioxidant content in fruits. Embodiments of the disclosure also include plant cells, plants, and fruits including a modified ADP-glucose pyrophosphorylase (AGPase). Also included are nucleic acid constructs, and methods of breeding for enhanced blossom end rot resistance.
Claims75
A plant cell comprising:
- a heterologous nucleic acid molecule having
- a) a modified ADP-glucose pyrophosphorylase (AGPase) sequence encoding an altered AGPase protein subunit or fragment thereof, or
- b) an inhibitory polynucleotide sequence targeting an AGPase gene encoding an AGPase protein,
- wherein the expression, stability, and/or activity of the AGPase protein is reduced or eliminated in the plant cell as compared to a plant cell without the modification.
A method of enhancing at least one of blossom end rot resistance to, size of, or antioxidants in fruit from a plant comprising:
- a) introducing, into a plant cell, an exogenous nucleic acid molecule comprising
- i) a modified ADP-glucose pyrophosphorylase (AGPase) sequence encoding an altered AGPase subunit protein or fragment thereof, or
- ii) an inhibitory polynucleotide sequence targeting an AGPase gene encoding an AGPase protein, and
- b) regenerating a transgenic plant from the plant cell.
A nucleic acid construct comprising:
- a nucleotide sequence targeting an AGPase encoding nucleic acid comprising:
- (i) a guide RNA;
- or
- (ii) an inhibitory polynucleotide;
- a 5′ heterologous DNA promoter sequence;
- and
- a 3′ terminator sequence.
A method for breeding plants having enhanced blossom end rot resistance, said method comprising:
- providing a candidate plant or plant part;
- analyzing the candidate plant or plant part for the presence, in its genome, of a modified ADP-glucose pyrophosphorylase (AGPase) polynucleotide encoding an AGPase subunit protein, wherein the expression, stability, and/or activity of said AGPase subunit protein is reduced or eliminated as compared to a plant without the modification;
- identifying, based on said analyzing, a candidate plant suitable for breeding that includes in its genome, the modified AGPase polynucleotide;
- and
- breeding the identified plant with at least one other plant.
A method of imparting blossom end rot resistance to fruit from a plant comprising:
- modifying a plant or a plant cell to reduce or eliminate the expression, stability, and/or activity of an ADP-glucose pyrophosphorylase (AGPase) subunit protein,
- wherein said reduction or elimination of the expression, stability, and/or activity of AGPase protein is effective in reducing or eliminating starch synthesis and imparting blossom end rot resistance to fruit from the plant or a plant produced from the plant cell, as compared to fruit from a plant without the modification;
- and
- selectively expressing a functional AGPase protein in non-fruit tissues.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.