# US 5,349,126 A · Process and composition for increasing squalene and sterol accumulation in higher plants

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- Number: US 5,349,126 A
- Document ID: US5349126A
- Status: Granted
- Kind: A
- Application number: 07/934,374
- Filed: 1992-08-14
- Granted: 1994-09-20
- Earliest claimed: 1990-10-12
- Assignees: Amoco Corporation
- Inventors: Joseph Chappell; Court A. Saunders; Fred R. Wolf
- Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US5349126A

## CPC

- C12N 9/0006: {acting on CH-OH groups as donors (1.1)}
- C12N 15/8243: {involving biosynthetic or metabolic pathways, i.e. metabolic engineering, e.g. nicotine, caffeine}
- C12N 15/8286: {for insect resistance}
- Y02A 40/146: Genetically Modified [GMO] plants, e.g. transgenic plants
- C12N: MICROORGANISMS OR ENZYMES; COMPOSITIONS THEREOF; PROPAGATING, PRESERVING, OR MAINTAINING MICROORGANISMS; MUTATION OR GENETIC ENGINEERING; CULTURE MEDIA (microbiological testing media C12Q1/00)
- Y02A: TECHNOLOGIES FOR ADAPTATION TO CLIMATE CHANGE

## Abstract

A process of increasing squalene and sterol accumulation in a transgenic plant by increasing the amount of a gene encoding a polypeptide having HMG-CoA reductase activity is disclosed. The amount is preferably increased by transforming plant cells with a recombinant DNA molecule comprising a vector operatively linked to an exogenous DNA segment that encodes a polypeptide having HMG-CoA reductase activity, and a promoter suitable for driving the expression of said polypeptide to form a transformed plant cell and regenerating a transgenic plant from that transformed cell. Also disclosed are a process of increasing pest resistance in a transgenic plant, transgenic plants and transgenic seeds capable of germinating into transgenic plants.

## Claims

### Claim 1

A process of increasing insect resistance in a transgenic plant said process comprising:
(a) transforming a plant cell with a recombinant DNA molecule comprising a vector operatively linked to a DNA segment that encodes a polypeptide having HMG-CoA reductase activity, and a promoter suitable for driving the expression of said polypeptide in said plant cell to form a transformed plant cell; and
(b) regenerating said transformed plant cell into said transgenic plant wherein said plant exhibits increased insect resistance.

### Claim 2 (depends on 1)

The process according to claim 1 wherein said polypeptide comprises the HMG-CoA reductase catalytic region and at least a portion of the HMG-CoA reductase linker region but is free from the membrane binding region of a HMG-CoA reductase.

### Claim 3 (depends on 1)

The process according to claim 1 wherein the promoter is a promoter whose regulatory function is substantially unaffected by the level of sterol in said transgenic plant.

### Claim 4 (depends on 1)

The process according to claim 1 wherein the promoter is the CaMV 35S promoter.

### Claim 5 (depends on 1)

The process according to claim 1 wherein said plant cell is obtained from plants of the group consisting of tobacco, cotton, soybean, tomato, alfalfa arabidopsis, corn, barley, carrot and guayule.

### Claim 6 (depends on 1)

A transgenic plant produced in accordance with the process of claim 1.

### Claim 7

A plant whose genome comprises a DNA structural gene, said structural gene consisting essentially of an HMG-CoA reductase catalytic region and at least a portion of an HMG-CoA reductase linker region, said plant exhibiting increased insect resistance in comparison with a native plant not containing said structural gene.

### Claim 8 (depends on 7)

A plant according to claim 7 which is selected from the group consisting of: arabidopsis, tobacco, cotton, soybean, tomato, alfalfa, corn, barley, carrot, and guayule.

### Claim 9 (depends on 7)

A method of making a plant having increased insect resistance, said method comprising crossing a plant according to claim 7 with a second plant, and selecting progeny having increased insect resistance.

### Claim 10

A seed, which upon germination produces a plant whose genome comprises a DNA structural gene, said structural gene consisting essentially of an HMG-CoA reductase catalytic region and at least a portion of an HMG-CoA reductase linker region, said plant exhibiting increased insect resistance in comparison with a native plant not containing said structural gene.

### Claim 11 (depends on 10)

A seed according to claim 10 which is selected from the group consisting of: tobacco, cotton, soybean, tomato, alfalfa, corn, barley, carrot, and guayule.