Method for selectively producing male or female sterile plants

• Main Authors: HAWKES TIMOTHY ROBERT, HADFIELD STEPHEN THOMAS, ZHANG YAN, VINER RUSSELL, MITCHELL GLYNN, THOMPSON PAUL ANTHONY
• Format: Patent
• Language: English
• Published: 10.05.2011
• Subjects: ACYCLIC, CARBOCYCLIC OR HETEROCYCLIC COMPOUNDS CONTAININGELEMENTS OTHER THAN CARBON, HYDROGEN, HALOGEN, OXYGEN, NITROGEN,SULFUR, SELENIUM OR TELLURIUM; AGRICULTURE; ANIMAL HUSBANDRY; BEER; BIOCHEMISTRY; BIOCIDES, e.g. AS DISINFECTANTS, AS PESTICIDES, AS HERBICIDES; CHEMISTRY; COMPOSITIONS THEREOF; CULTURE MEDIA; DERIVATIVES THEREOF; ENZYMOLOGY; FERMENTATION OR ENZYME-USING PROCESSES TO SYNTHESISE A DESIREDCHEMICAL COMPOUND OR COMPOSITION OR TO SEPARATE OPTICAL ISOMERSFROM A RACEMIC MIXTURE; FISHING; FORESTRY; HUMAN NECESSITIES; HUNTING; METALLURGY; MICROBIOLOGY; MICROORGANISMS OR ENZYMES; MUTATION OR GENETIC ENGINEERING; NEW PLANTS OR PROCESSES FOR OBTAINING THEM; NUCLEIC ACIDS; NUCLEOSIDES; NUCLEOTIDES; ORGANIC CHEMISTRY; 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; SUGARS; TRAPPING; VINEGAR; WINE

A method of producing male or female sterile plants comprising the steps of transforming plant material with a polynucleotide which encodes at least one enzyme which reacts with a non-phytotoxic substance to produce a phytotoxic one, and regenerating the thus transformed material into a plant, wherein the said non-phytotoxic substance is applied to the plant up to the time of male or female gamete formation and/or maturation, so that the non-phytotoxic substance provides for the production of a phytotoxic one which selectively prevents the formation of or otherwise renders the said gametes non-functional, wherein the enzyme is expressed preferentially in either male or female reproductive structures, characterised in that (i) the non-phytotoxic substance is a D-alpha amino acid, and (ii) the enzyme is a D-amino acid oxidase.