Methods and means for altering fiber characteristics in fiber-producing plants

• US 20080171391A1
• Filed: 07/05/2007
• Published: 07/17/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 08/15/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Robert T. Furbank, Yong Ling Ruan
• Original Assignee: Robert T. Furbank, Yong Ling Ruan
• Inventors: Furbank, Robert T., Ruan, Yong Ling
• Granted Patent: US 7,947,875 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 435/468
• CPC Class Codes: C12N 15/8246 Non-starch polysaccharides, e.g. cellulose, fructans, levans
• CPC Class Codes: C12N 15/8261 with agronomic (input) traits, e.g. crop yield
• CPC Class Codes: Y02A 40/146 Genetically Modified [GMO] plants, e.g. transgenic plants

Abstract

Methods and means are provided for modulating fiber length in fiber producing plants such as cotton by altering the fiber elongation phase. The fiber elongation phase may be increased or decreased by interfering with callose deposition in plasmodesmata at the base of the fiber cells.

Claims

1. A method for increasing the length of a fiber in cotton, comprising introducing a the step of introducing a chimeric gene into a cell of said fiber producing plant, wherein said chimeric gene, when expressed in said cell of said fiber-producing plant increases said fiber elongation phase and increases said deposition of callose, said chimeric gene comprising

(a) a plant expressible promoter;

(b) a transcribed DNA region, which when transcribed yields a double-stranded RNA molecule capable of reducing the expression of a gene endogenous to said fiber producing plant, said gene being involved in callose removal from said plasmodesmata, and said RNA molecule comprising a first and second RNA region wherein

i) said first RNA region comprises a nucleotide sequence of at least 19 consecutive nucleotides having at least about 94% sequence identity to the nucleotide sequence of SEQ ID No 1;

ii) said second RNA region comprises a nucleotide sequence complementary to said 19 consecutive nucleotides of said first RNA region;

iii) said first and second RNA region are capable of base-pairing to form a double stranded RNA molecule between at least said 19 consecutive nucleotides of said first and second region; and

(c) a 3′

end region comprising transcription termination and polyadenylation signals functioning in cells of said plant;

or

said chimeric gene comprising the following operably linked DNA elements;

i) a plant-expressible promoter, preferably a plant-expressible promoter which controls transcription preferentially in said fiber cells;

ii) a DNA region encoding a β

-1,3 glucanase protein comprising the amino acid sequence of SEQ ID No 3 or the nucleotide sequence of SEQ ID No 2; and

iii) a 3′

end region comprising transcription termination and polyadenylation signals functioning in cells of said plant.