Transgenic organisms contg. at least 2 pathogen inhibiting genes - esp. plants contg. genes with antifungal activity, show synergistic increase in disease resistance, also new DNA transfer vectors

• Main Authors: MUNDY, JOHN., KOPENHAGEN/KOEBENHAVN, DK, SCHELL, JEFF, , 50829 KOELN, DE, GOERNHARDT, BIRGIT-BIOL., 51145 KOELN, DE, LOGEMANN, JUERGEN., LEIDEN, NL, JACH, GUIDO-BIOL., 50678 KOELN, DE, CHET, ILAN, , NES ZIONA, IL, ECKES, PETER., 65779 KELKHEIM, DE
• Format: Patent
• Language: English; German
• Published: 21.04.1994
• Edition: 5
• Subjects: AGRICULTURE; ANIMAL HUSBANDRY; BEER; BIOCHEMISTRY; BIOCIDES, e.g. AS DISINFECTANTS, AS PESTICIDES, AS HERBICIDES; CHEMISTRY; COMPOSITIONS THEREOF; CULTURE MEDIA; ENZYMOLOGY; FISHING; FORESTRY; HUMAN NECESSITIES; HUNTING; METALLURGY; MICROBIOLOGY; MICROORGANISMS OR ENZYMES; MUTATION OR GENETIC ENGINEERING; NEW PLANTS OR PROCESSES FOR OBTAINING THEM; ORGANIC CHEMISTRY; PEPTIDES; PEST REPELLANTS OR ATTRACTANTS; PLANT GROWTH REGULATORS; PLANT REPRODUCTION BY TISSUE CULTURE TECHNIQUES; PRESERVATION OF BODIES OF HUMANS OR ANIMALS OR PLANTS OR PARTSTHEREOF; PROPAGATING, PRESERVING OR MAINTAINING MICROORGANISMS; SPIRITS; TRAPPING; VINEGAR; WINE

New transgenic, pathogen-resistant organisms have a genome contg. at least 2 different genes, under control of active promoters, with pathogen-inhibiting activity. Also new are DNA transfer vectors contg. inserted DNA sequences for prepn. of such organisms. Partic. the genes (of fungal, bacterial, animal, plant or viral origin) encode products that reduce the viability of fungi, esp. chitinase; glucanase; protein-synthesis inhibitor (PSI) or antifungal protein (AFP). The transgenic organism is pref. a plant, esp. tobacco, potato, strawberry, maize, rape or tomato. The specification includes nucleic acid and amino acid sequences for AFP of Aspergilllus giganteus (275 bp); PSI of Hordeum vulgare (1079 bp); exo-chitinase (ChiS) of Serratia marcescens (2329 bp); chitinase G of H. vulgare (1013 bp), and glucanase of H. vulgare (1249 bp). USE/ADVANTAGE - The transgenic plants have increased pathogen resistance. The same result is achieved if a transgenic plant expresses one gene product and a second gene product is applied from an external source. The two gene products show a synergistic increase in pathogen-induced activity, so that the plants have a greater degree of resistance or resistance against a wider spectrum of diseases. A 1.8 kb ChiS gene was fused to a 35S promoter from cauliflower mosaic virus and the product cloned in pLS034. The recombinant vector was used for A. tumefaciens transformation of tobacco etc., with selection of kanamycin resistant plants. Other plants were transformed similarly with the PSI gene. The two sets of plants were crossed and members of the next generation selected for presence of both genes.