The invention relates to enhancing the capability of higher plants to withstand a pathogen attack. Plants are genetically engineered with a particular bacterial gene. The introduction of the bacterial gene into the plant genome results in activation of a general plant defense mechanism and the induction of systemic resistance. Tobacco plants transformed with the bacterial gene acquire a higher disease resistance against tobacco mosaic virus (TMV) and tobacco necrosis virus (TNV), as well as a large increase in salicylic acid concentrations. Because of the bacterial origin of this transgene and the broad spectrum of defense mechanism activated by its introduction into transgenic plants, this procedure is likely to be generally applicable to other plant species to produce similar results. Experiments to test this transgene in tomato and arabidopsis are underway. (94-0222-1)
Status: A U.S. Patent Application has been filed.
Available for Licensing.
Recently, we cloned the cDNA for PAP, expressed it in transgenic plants and showed that recombinant PAP is as potent as native PAP in inactivating mammalian ribosomes (Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. USA 90:7089-7093, 1993). Our results also showed that expression of PAP in transgenic plants leads to broad spectrum resistance to viral infection. Because high levels of PAP expression is toxic to transgenic plants and to human cells, we developed a positive selection system to isolate PAP mutants with reduced toxicity. PAP cDNA was cloned into a yeast expression vector under the control of an inducible promoter. Expression analysis showed that PAP expressed in yeast is fully processed to the mature form and is toxic to yeast cells. The PAP expression plasmid was mutagenized and plasmids encoding mutant PAP genes were identified by their failure to kill S. cerevisiae. A number of different mutant alleles were sequenced and three different groups of mutants were identified. In the first group, point mutations at the active site inactivated enzymatic function. In the second group, point mutations near the C-terminus resulted in truncated proteins, and in the third group, point mutations inhibited proteolytic processing. Proteins extracted from the C-terminal deletion mutants and processing mutants were enzymatically active in vitro, suggesting that the in vivo toxicity of PAP has more than one essential step and depends on three different domains of the molecule. These results suggest that it is possible to eliminate the toxicity of PAP without altering its enzymatic or antiviral activity. These studies may lead to the design of more effective treatment protocols for cancer therapy and for viral infection in plants and animals. (95-0411-1)
Status: A U.S. Patent Application has been filed.
Available for Licensing.
Accumulation of salicylic acid and induction of pathogenesis-related (PR) gene expression are correlated with the hypersensitive response in tobacco plants infected with tobacco mosaic virus (TMV). To gain insights into mechanisms of resistance and to identify potential components of the signal transduction pathway(s) leading to resistance, seven clones have been isolated by differential screening of a cDNA library constructed with RNA from TMV-infected tobacco leaves. Northern analysis showed that all these clones are induced in TMV-infected leaves. Two of these clones encode ethylene-forming enzymes: 1-amino-cyclopropane-1-carboxylate (acc) deaminase and acc oxidase. One encodes 3-hydro-3-methylglutary (HMG)-coenzyme A reductase. One clone belongs to, but is distinct, from previously identified B-1,3 glucanase (PR-2) genes. Three other clones do not share homology with DNA sequences in the GenBank data base. Sequencing and further characterization of these clones are currently underway. (97-0009)
Status: A U.S. Patent Application has been filed.
Available for Licensing.
This invention proposes a novel process for the identification and manufacturing of valuable chemical products made by green plants. Germinating plant seeds and plant roots produce large quantities of exudates containing different chemicals (organic molecules and peptides). These chemicals are continuously excreted in the surrounding substrate, which can be pure water. Most chemicals in these exudates were never identified. We developed cost-effective technology for growing large quantities of plants roots and young seedlings and collecting the chemicals they produce. This technology offers a novel and efficient way of "phytomanufacturing" large quantities of valuable chemical products for uses such as pharmaceuticals; cosmetic and health care agents; crop protection chemicals; food additives; and specialty and commodity chemicals. The first step in implementing this invention is screening the exudates produced by roots and seedlings of different plants for valuable chemicals, which are cheaper to "phytomanufacture" than to produce via conventional chemical synthesis. The second step is the optimization and scale up of the phytomanufacturing process for the targeted chemicals. (97-0069)
Status: Under Review.
Available for Licensing.
For further information contact:
Christophe G. Izzo
Manager, Technology & Licensing
Martin Hall, Cook College,NJAES
88 Lipman Drive
New Brunswick, NJ 08901-8525
Email: izzo@ocltt.rutgers.edu
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