Method of controlling insects
AssigneeMonsanto Company
InventorsDavid R. Corbin, John T. Greenplate, Michael G. Jennings, John P. Purcell, Robert D. Sammons
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Abstract
3-Hydroxysteroid oxidase controls insects, particularly lepidopterans and boll weevil. Genes encoding for this enzyme may be cloned into vectors for transformation of plant-colonizing microorganisms or plants, thereby providing a method of controlling insect infestation.
Claims21
A method controlling insect infestation of plants comprising providing a 3-hydroxysteroid oxidase for ingestion by the insect wherein the insect is a lepidopteran or boll weevil wherein said 3-hydroxysteroid oxidase is provided by expression of a gene for 3-hydroxysteroid oxidase incorporated in the plant by previous genetic transformation of a parent cell of the plant and wherein the 3-hydroxysteroid oxidase is not enzymatically active in the cytoplasm of the plant cell.
A recombinant, double-stranded DNA molecule comprising in operative sequence:
- a) a promoter which functions in plant cells to cause the production of an RNA sequence;
- b) a structural coding sequence that encodes for 3-hydroxysteroid oxidase;
- and
- c) a 3' non-translated region which functions in plant cells to cause the addition of polyadenylate nucleotides to the 3' end of the RNA sequence,
- wherein said promoter is heterologous with respect to said structural coding sequence and wherein said promoter is operatively linked with said structural coding sequence, which is in turn operably linked with said non-translated region.
A method of producing a genetically transformed plant which expresses an insecticidally effective amount of a 3-hydroxysteroid oxidase, comprising the steps of:
- a) inserting into the genome of a plant cell a recombinant, double-stranded DNA molecule comprising
- (i) a promoter which functions in plant cells to cause the production of an RNA sequence;
- (ii) a structural coding sequence that encodes for 3-hydroxysteroid oxidase;
- (iii) a 3' non-translated region which functions in said plant cells to cause the addition of polyadenylate nucleotides to the 3' end of the RNA sequence,
- wherein said promoter is heterologous with respect to said structural coding sequence and wherein said promoter is operatively linked with said structural coding sequence, which is in turn operably linked with said non-translated region;
- b) obtaining transformed plant cells;
- and
- c) regenerating from the transformed plant cells genetically transformed plants with express an insecticidally effective amount of 3-hydroxysteroid oxidase;
- provided that the 3-hydroxysteroid oxidase is not enzymatically active in the cytoplasm of the plant cell.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.