Method for modifying gene expression of a phytopathogenic fungus
AssigneeBayer Aktiengesellschaft
InventorsRachel Baltz, Raphael Dumain, Stéphane Peyrard, Jean-Marc Ferullo, Roland Beffa
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Abstract
The present invention relates to a system for controlling the development of fungi during a phytopathogenic attack which enables the plant to express a construct for inhibiting the expression of a gene essential to the development or to the pathogenicity of the fungus. The technology used is based on the mechanism of RNA interference. The present invention provides methods for producing plants resistant to a phytopathogenic fungus, plant cells and plants resistant to a phytopathogenic fungus, and methods of identifying a gene essential to the development or to the pathogenicity of a phytopathogenic fungus.
Claims36
A method of producing a plant cell resistant to a phytopathogenic fungus, comprising the following steps:
- a) introducing into a plant cell a construct comprising:
- a promoter regulatory sequence that is functional in the plant cell, operably linked to
- a DNA sequence which, when it is transcribed, generates an RNA molecule comprising at least a sense sequence and an antisense sequence which are at least partially complementary, said sense sequence comprising a sequence essentially homologous to a fungal gene essential to the fungus or to its phytopathogenicity, said antisense sequence comprising a sequence essentially homologous to the sequence complementary to said fungal gene, wherein said RNA molecule targets said fungal gene, and
- a terminator regulatory sequence, resulting in a transformed plant cell;
- b) placing the transformed cell in culture under conditions that allow the transcription of the construct, and
- c) selecting the transformed cell that is resistant to the phytopathogenic fungus.
A plant cell resistant to a phytopathogenic fungus, comprising
- a construct comprising
- a promoter regulatory sequence that is functional in the plant, operably linked to
- a DNA sequence which, when it is transcribed, generates an RNA molecule comprising at least a sense sequence and an antisense sequence which are at least partially complementary, said sense sequence comprising a sequence essentially homologous to a fungal gene essential to the fungus or to its phytopathogenicity, said antisense sequence comprising a sequence essentially homologous to the sequence complementary to said essential fungal gene, wherein said RNA molecule targets said fungal gene, and
- a terminator regulatory sequence.
A method for identifying a gene essential to the development or to the pathogenicity of a phytopathogenic fungus, comprising the following steps:
- a) transforming a plant cell or a plant with a construct comprising:
- a promoter regulatory sequence that is functional in the plant cell or plant, operably linked to
- a DNA sequence which, when it is transcribed, generates an RNA molecule comprising at least a sense sequence and an antisense sequence which are at least partially complementary, said sense sequence comprising a sequence essentially homologous to a phytopathogenic fungus gene, said antisense sequence comprising a sequence essentially homologous to the sequence complementary to said phytopathogenic fungus gene, wherein said RNA molecule targets said phytopathogenic fungus gene and
- a terminator regulatory sequence,
- b) bringing the cells or the plants thus transformed into contact with the phytopathogenic fungus,
- c) studying the resulting phenotype, and
- d) characterizing the gene corresponding to the sequence of nucleotides thus inserted.
A method for inhibiting the expression of a fungal gene, comprising the following steps:
- a) transforming a plant cell with a construct comprising:
- a promoter regulatory sequence that is functional in the plant cell, operably linked to
- a DNA sequence which, when it is transcribed, generates an RNA molecule comprising at least a sense sequence and an antisense sequence which are at least partially complementary, said sense sequence comprising a sequence essentially homologous to a fungal gene essential to the fungus or to its phytopathogenicity, said antisense sequence comprising a sequence essentially homologous to the sequence complementary to said fungal gene, wherein said RNA molecule targets said fungal gene,
- a terminator regulatory sequence,
- b) placing the cell thus transformed in culture under conditions that allow the transcription of said construct, and
- c) allowing the plant cell to contact the fungus.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.