METHODS AND COMPOSITIONS FOR INCREASING PLANT DISEASE RESISTANCE AND YIELD

20140090103

14/047632

October 07, 2013

The present invention discloses novel plant homologs of the Arabidopsis peptide atPEP1. atPEP peptides in Arabidopsis are involved in the amplification of defense pathways involved in innate immunity against microbial pathogens. Homologs to atPEP1 identified in soy, corn, rice, wheat, and canola sequence databases are potential sources for transgenes to enhance crop yield through resistance to biotic and/or abiotic stresses. Chimeric genes comprising sequences from mature and precursor plant defense response polypeptides from a given species, and from different species, as well as the encoded polypeptide sequences, are also described.

Monsanto Technology LLC (St. Louis, MO, US)

1. An isolated polynucleotide comprising a sequence selected from the group consisting of: a) a polynucleotide sequence at least 75% identical to SEQ ID NO:32, SEQ ID NO:33, SEQ ID NO:34, SEQ ID NO:35, SEQ ID NO:36, SEQ ID NO:37, SEQ ID NO:38, SEQ ID NO:39, SEQ ID NO:40, SEQ ID NO:41, SEQ ID NO:42, SEQ ID NO:43, SEQ ID NO:44 SEQ ID NO:53, SEQ ID NO:54, SEQ ID NO:55, or SEQ ID NO:56; b) a polynucleotide encoding a polypeptide at least 85% identical to SEQ ID NO:2, SEQ ID NO:3, SEQ ID NO:4, SEQ ID NO:5, SEQ ID NO:6, SEQ ID NO:8, SEQ ID NO:9, SEQ ID NO:10, SEQ ID NO:12, SEQ ID NO:13, SEQ ID NO:14, SEQ ID NO:15, SEQ ID NO:16, SEQ ID NO:17, SEQ ID NO:18, SEQ ID NO:19, SEQ ID NO:20, SEQ ID NO:21, SEQ ID NO:22, SEQ ID NO:23, SEQ ID NO:24, SEQ ID NO:25, SEQ ID NO:26, SEQ ID NO:27, SEQ ID NO:28, SEQ ID NO:29, SEQ ID NO:30, SEQ ID NO:48, SEQ ID NO:49, SEQ ID NO:50, SEQ ID NO:51, SEQ ID NO:52, SEQ ID NO:57, SEQ ID NO:58, SEQ ID NO:59, or SEQ ID NO:60; and c) a polynucleotide that hybridizes to SEQ ID NO:32, SEQ ID NO:33, SEQ ID NO:34, SEQ ID NO:35, SEQ ID NO:36, SEQ ID NO:37, SEQ ID NO:38, SEQ ID NO:39, SEQ ID NO:40, SEQ ID NO:41, SEQ ID NO:42, SEQ ID NO:43, SEQ ID NO:44, SEQ ID NO:53, SEQ ID NO:54, SEQ ID NO:55, or SEQ ID NO:56, or a complement thereof, under stringent wash conditions of 0.2×SSC at 65° for 10 minutes.

2. The isolated polynucleotide sequence of claim 1, wherein the polynucleotide comprises SEQ ID NO:32, SEQ ID NO:33, SEQ ID NO:34, SEQ ID NO:35, SEQ ID NO:36, SEQ ID NO:37, SEQ ID NO:38, SEQ ID NO:39, SEQ ID NO:40, SEQ ID NO:41, SEQ ID NO:42, SEQ ID NO:43, SEQ ID NO:44, SEQ ID NO:53, SEQ ID NO:54, SEQ ID NO:55, or SEQ ID NO:56.

3. The isolated polynucleotide sequence of claim 1, wherein the polynucleotide encodes a polypeptide selected from the group consisting of SEQ ID NO:2, SEQ ID NO:3, SEQ ID NO:4, SEQ ID NO:5, SEQ ID NO:6, SEQ ID NO:8, SEQ ID NO:9, SEQ ID NO:10, SEQ ID NO:12, SEQ ID NO:13, SEQ ID NO:14, SEQ ID NO:15, SEQ ID NO:16, SEQ ID NO:17, SEQ ID NO:18, SEQ ID NO:19, SEQ ID NO:20, SEQ ID NO:21, SEQ ID NO:22, SEQ ID NO:23, SEQ ID NO:24, SEQ ID NO:25, SEQ ID NO:26, SEQ ID NO:27, SEQ ID NO:28, SEQ ID NO:29, SEQ ID NO:30, SEQ ID NO:48, SEQ ID NO:49, SEQ ID NO:50, SEQ ID NO:51 SEQ ID NO:52, SEQ ID NO:57, SEQ ID NO:58, SEQ ID NO:59, and SEQ ID NO:60.

4. A construct comprising the isolated polynucleotide of claim 1 operably linked to a heterologous promoter functional in plants.

5. The isolated polynucleotide of claim 4, wherein the promoter is a stress induced promoter.

6. The isolated polynucleotide of claim 4, wherein the promoter is selected from the group consisting of a promoter induced by: osmotic stress, drought stress, cold stress, heat stress, oxidative stress, nutrient deficiency, infection by a fungus, infection by an oomycete, infection by a virus, infection by a bacterium, nematode infestation, pest infestation, weed infestation, and herbivory.

7. An isolated polypeptide sequence comprising an amino acid sequence polypeptide at least 85% identical to SEQ ID NO:2, SEQ ID NO:3, SEQ ID NO:4, SEQ ID NO:5, SEQ ID NO:6, SEQ ID NO:8, SEQ ID NO:9, SEQ ID NO:10, SEQ ID NO:12, SEQ ID NO:13, SEQ ID NO:14, SEQ ID NO:15, SEQ ID NO:16, SEQ ID NO:17, SEQ ID NO:18, SEQ ID NO: l 9, SEQ ID NO:20, SEQ ID NO:21, SEQ ID NO:22, SEQ ID NO:23, SEQ ID NO:24, SEQ ID NO:25, SEQ ID NO:26, SEQ ID NO:27, SEQ ID NO:28, SEQ ID NO:29, SEQ ID NO:30, SEQ ID NO:48, SEQ ID NO:49, SEQ ID NO:50, SEQ ID NO:51, SEQ ID NO:52, SEQ ID NO:57, SEQ ID NO:58, SEQ ID NO:59, or SEQ ID NO:60.

8. A composition formulated for application to a plant or a part thereof comprising the polypeptide of claim 7.

9. The composition of claim 8, formulated as a spray, a powder, a granule, or a seed treatment.

10. A method for improving the health of a plant, comprising providing to the plant the polypeptide of claim 7 in an amount that improves the health of the plant as compared to a plant of the same genotype not provided with the polypeptide.

11. The method of claim 10, wherein providing the polypeptide comprises contacting the plant with the composition of claim 8.

12. The method of claim 10, wherein providing the polypeptide comprises expressing in the plant a nucleic acid encoding the polypeptide of claim 7.

13. A transgenic plant or a part thereof transformed with the polynucleotide of claim 1.

14. The plant of claim 13, wherein the plant is selected from the group consisting of corn, soybean, cotton, canola, rice, wheat, and sunflower.

15. A part of the plant of claim 13, wherein the part comprises the polynucleotide of claim 1.

16. The part of claim 15, wherein the part is selected from the group consisting of an embryo, pollen, a cell, a root, a fruit, or a meristem.

17. A seed of the plant of claim 13, wherein the seed comprises the polynucleotide of claim 1.

18. A method of producing a plant commodity product, comprising producing the commodity product from the plant of claim 13 or a part thereof.

19. The method of claim 18, wherein the commodity product is selected from the group consisting of grain, meal, protein, flour, oil, or silage.

20. A commodity product produced by the method of claim 18, wherein the commodity product comprises the polynucleotide of claim 1.

800/278

12; 23; 23; 23; 07; 01

edspap.20140090103