# US 7,408,098 B2 · Regulation of quinolate phosphoribosyl transferase expression > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 7,408,098 B2 - Document ID: US7408098B2 - Status: Granted - Kind: B2 - Application number: 10/748,789 - Filed: 2003-12-30 - Published: 2004-08-26 - Granted: 2008-08-05 - Earliest claimed: 1997-06-12 - Assignees: North Carolina State University - Inventors: Mark A. Conkling; Wen Song; Nandini Mendu - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US7408098B2 ## CPC - C12N 9/1077: {Pentosyltransferases (2.4.2)} - C12N 15/8243: {involving biosynthetic or metabolic pathways, i.e. metabolic engineering, e.g. nicotine, caffeine} - C12N: MICROORGANISMS OR ENZYMES; COMPOSITIONS THEREOF; PROPAGATING, PRESERVING, OR MAINTAINING MICROORGANISMS; MUTATION OR GENETIC ENGINEERING; CULTURE MEDIA (microbiological testing media C12Q1/00) ## Abstract DNA encoding a plant quinolate phosphoribosyl transferase (QPRTase) enzyme, and constructs comprising such DNA are provided. Methods of altering quinolate phosphoribosyl transferase expression are provided. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A method of making a transgenic tobacco plant cell having increased quinolate phosphoribosyl transferase (QPRTase) expression, said method comprising: transforming a tobacco plant cell with an exogenous nucleic acid construct, which construct comprises, in the 5′ to 3′ direction, a promoter operable in a tobacco plant cell and a nucleotide sequence encoding a quinolate phosphoribosyl transferase comprising the amino acid sequence of SEQ ID NO:2, wherein said nucleotide sequence is operably associated with said promoter to produce transformed tobacco plant cells, said tobacco plant cells having increased expression of QPRTase compared to an untransformed tobacco plant cell. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein said tobacco plant cell is Nicotiana tabacum. ### Claim 3 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, further comprising regenerating a tobacco plant from said transformed tobacco plant cell. ### Claim 4 (depends on 1) A method according to claim 1, wherein said promoter is constitutively active. ### Claim 5 (depends on 1) A method according to claim 1, wherein said promoter is selectively active in plant root tissue cells. ### Claim 6 (depends on 1) A method according to claim 1, wherein said promoter is selectively active in plant root cortex tissue cells. ### Claim 7 (depends on 1) A method according to claim 1, wherein said transforming step is carried out by bombarding said tobacco plant cell with microparticles carrying said nucleic acid construct. ### Claim 8 (depends on 1) A method according to claim 1 wherein said transforming step is carried out by infecting said tobacco plant cell with an Agrobacterium tumefaciens containing a Ti plasmid carrying said nucleic acid construct. ### Claim 9 (depends on 1) A method of producing transgenic tobacco seeds, comprising collecting transgenic seeds from a transgenic tobacco plant produced by the method of claim 1. ### Claim 10 (depends on 1) The method according to claim 1, wherein said nucleotide sequence comprises the nucleotide sequence of SEQ ID NO:1. ### Claim 11 A transgenic plant of the genus Nicotiana having increased quinolate phosphoribosyl transferase (QPRTase) expression relative to a non-transformed control plant, said transgenic plant comprising transgenic plant cells containing: an exogenous nucleic acid construct comprising, in the 5′ to 3′ direction, a promoter operable in said plant cell and a nucleotide sequence encoding a plant quinolate phosphoribosyl transferase comprising the amino acid sequence of SEQ ID NO:2, said nucleotide sequence operably associated with said promoter; said plant exhibiting increased QPRTase expression compared to a non-transformed control plant. ### Claim 12 (depends on 11) The transgenic plant according to claim 11, wherein said nucleotide sequence comprises the nucleotide sequence of SEQ ID NO:1. ### Claim 13 (depends on 11) The transgenic plant according to claim 11, wherein said promoter is a constitutively active promoter. ### Claim 14 (depends on 11) The transgenic plant according to claim 11, wherein said promoter is selectively active in plant root tissue cells. ### Claim 15 (depends on 11) The transgenic plant according to claim 11 wherein said promoter is selectively active in plant root cortex tissue cells. ### Claim 16 (depends on 11) The transgenic plant according to claim 11, which plant is Nicotiana tabacum. ### Claim 17 (depends on 11) A transgenic plant of the genus Nicotiana having increased quinolate phosphoribosyl transferase (QPRTase) expression relative to a non-transformed control plant, wherein said transgenic plant is a progeny of a plant according to claim 11. ### Claim 18 (depends on 11) Seeds of a transgenic plant of the genus Nicotiana having increased quinolate phosphoribosyl transferase (QPRTase) expression relative to a non-transformed control plant, wherein said transgenic plant is a plant according to claim 11 or a progeny thereof. ### Claim 19 (depends on 11) A crop comprising a plurality of plants according to claim 11 planted together in an agricultural field. ### Claim 20 A method for increasing expression of a quinolate phosphoribosyl transferase gene in a tobacco plant cell, said method comprising: growing a tobacco plant cell transformed to contain exogenous nucleic acid, wherein said exogenous nucleic acid encodes a quinolate phosphoribosyl transferase comprising the amino acid sequence of SEQ ID NO:2. ### Claim 21 (depends on 20) The method of claim 20, wherein said tobacco plant cell is a Nicotiana tabacum plant cell. ### Claim 22 (depends on 20) The method according to claim 20, wherein said transformed tobacco plant cell is obtained by a method comprising: integrating into the genome of a host tobacco plant cell a construct comprising, in the direction of transcription, a promoter functional in said plant cell, a nucleotide sequence encoding quinolate phosphoribosyl transferase comprising the amino acid sequence of SEQ ID NO:2, said nucleotide sequence operably associated with said promoter, and a transcriptional termination region functional in said tobacco plant cell, whereby a transformed tobacco plant cell is obtained. ### Claim 23 (depends on 22) A method according to claim 22, wherein said promoter is constitutively active. ### Claim 24 (depends on 22) A method according to claim 22 wherein said promoter is selectively active in plant root tissue cells. ### Claim 25 (depends on 22) A method according to claim 22, wherein said promoter is selectively active in plant root cortex tissue cells. ### Claim 26 (depends on 20) The method according to claim 20, wherein said nucleotide sequence comprises the nucleotide sequence of SEQ ID NO:1. ### Claim 27 A method of producing a tobacco plant having an increased amount of nicotine in leaves of said tobacco plant, said method comprising: growing a tobacco plant, or progeny plants thereof, wherein said plant comprises cells containing a nucleic acid construct comprising a transcriptional initiation region functional in said plant and an exogenous nucleotide sequence operably joined to said transcriptional initiation region, wherein said nucleotide sequence encodes quinolate phosphoribosyl transferase comprising the amino acid sequence of SEQ ID NO:2. ### Claim 28 (depends on 27) The method according to claim 27, wherein said nucleotide sequence comprises the nucleotide sequence of SEQ ID NO:1.