AXMI-003, a delta-endotoxin gene and methods for its use

A plant having stably incorporated into its genome a DNA construct comprising a nucleotide sequence that encodes a protein having pesticidal activity, wherein said nucleotide sequence is selected from the group consisting of:

• a) the nucleotide sequence of SEQ ID NO:1 or 3;
• and,
• b) a nucleotide sequence encoding a polypeptide comprising the amino acid sequence of SEQ ID NO:2 or 4;
• wherein said nucleotide sequence is operably linked to a promoter that drives expression of a coding sequence in a plant cell.

A plant cell having stably incorporated into its genome a DNA construct comprising a nucleotide sequence that encodes a protein having pesticidal activity, wherein said nucleotide sequence is selected from the group consisting of:

• a) the nucleotide sequence of SEQ ID NO:1 or 3;
• and,
• b) a nucleotide sequence encoding a polypeptide comprising the amino acid sequence of SEQ ID NO:2 or 4;
• wherein said nucleotide sequence is operably linked to a promoter that drives expression of a coding sequence in a plant cell.

A method for expressing a nucleotide sequence in a plant, said method comprising introducing into a plant cell an expression cassette, said expression cassette comprising a promoter and operably linked to said promoter a heterologous nucleotide sequence of interest, wherein said nucleotide sequence of interest comprises a nucleotide sequence selected from the group consisting of:

• a) the nucleotide sequence of SEQ ID NO:1 or 3;
• and,
• b) a nucleotide sequence encoding a polypeptide comprising the amino acid sequence of SEQ ID NO:2 or 4;
• and,
• regenerating a transformed plant from said plant cell, wherein said plant has stably incorporated into its genome said expression cassette.