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AssigneeThe Salk Institute Biotechnology/Industrial Associates, Inc.
InventorsLeona C. Fitzmaurice, T. Erik Mirkov, Kathryn J. Elliott, William Owen Butler, Yoshihiro Konno, Craig Duane Dickinson
Estimating the term…
Transgenic plants that are modified to produce fruits that have altered levels of soluble solids compared to non-transgenic species of the same species are provided. The transgenic plants are modified by introduction of DNA constructs that encode invertase operatively linked to DNA encoding regulatory regions that direct transcription of the DNA encoding invertase and to DNA encoding sequences that direct proper processing of the invertase through the secretory pathways of the plant and targeting of the invertase to the vacuole. In particular, DNA constructs encoding tomato plant vacuolar invertase in operative linkage with a developmentally regulated promoter region are provided. Preferred regulatory and structural DNA is obtained from genomic DNA clones and cDNA clones encoding tomato fruit vacuolar invertases from the commercial tomato plant, Lycopersicon esculentum, and wild tomato plant, Lycopersicon pimpinellifolium. Probes derived from the genomic DNA and cDNA, antibodies specific for tomato fruit invertase, and uses therefore, are also provided.
An isolated substantially pure DNA fragment, comprising a sequence of nucleotides that encodes a tomato vacuolar invertase, wherein said DNA fragment is selected from the group consisting of:
A substantially pure DNA fragment encoding a tomato fruit invertase, comprising a sequence of nucleotides that encodes the amino acid sequence set forth as residues 1-635 in Sequence ID No. 1.
An isolated substantially pure, DNA construct, comprising, in the 5' to 3' direction, a developmentally regulated promoter region operatively linked to DNA encoding a tomato vacuolar invertase, wherein:
The substantially pure cDNA molecule encoding a tomato fruit invertase set forth in SEQ ID No. 2.
A method for obtaining a tomato plant having altered tomato vacuolar invertase expression comprising introducing DNA encoding a tomato vacuolar invertase or a fragment thereof, in the sense or anti-sense orientation into a tomato plant thereby producing a tomato plant having altered tomato vacuolar invertase expression.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.