Expression of Cry3B Insecticidal Protein in Plants

• Main Author: ROMANO CHARLES P
• Format: Patent
• Language: English
• Published: 15.01.2009
• Subjects: AGRICULTURE; ANIMAL HUSBANDRY; BEER; BIOCHEMISTRY; 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; PLANT REPRODUCTION BY TISSUE CULTURE TECHNIQUES; PROPAGATING, PRESERVING OR MAINTAINING MICROORGANISMS; SPIRITS; TRAPPING; VINEGAR; WINE

The present invention discloses methods and compositions comprising a group of novel expression cassettes which provide significantly improved levels of accumulation of Coleopteran inhibitory Cry3B and Cry3B variant amino acid sequences when these are expressed in plants. The preferred embodiments of the invention provide at least up to ten fold higher levels of insect controlling protein relative to the highest levels obtained using prior compositions. In particular, transgenic maize expressing higher levels of a protein designed to exhibit increased toxicity toward Coleopteran pests deliver superior levels of insect protection and are less likely to sponsor development of populations of target insects that are resistant to the insecticidally active protein.