COMPOSITIONS AND METHODS FOR CONTROL OF INSECT INFESTATIONS IN PLANTS

• US 20130232646A1
• Filed: 03/01/2013
• Published: 09/05/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 04/09/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Monsanto Technology LLC (Bayer AG)
• Original Assignee: Monsanto Technology LLC (Bayer AG)
• Inventors: Baum, James A., Gilbertson, Larry A., Kovalic, David K., LaRosa, Thomas J., Lu, Maolong, Munyikwa, Tichafa R.I., Roberts, James K., Wu, Wei, Zhang, Bei
• Granted Patent: US 9,340,797 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 800/300
• CPC Class Codes: A01N 63/23 B. thuringiensis
• CPC Class Codes: A01N 63/50 Isolated enzymes; Isolated proteins peptides A01N37/46
• CPC Class Codes: A01N 63/60 Isolated nucleic acids
• CPC Class Codes: C12N 15/8275 Glyphosate
• CPC Class Codes: C12N 15/8279 for biotic stress resistance, pathogen resistance, disease resistance
• CPC Class Codes: C12N 15/8285 for nematode resistance
• CPC Class Codes: C12N 15/8286 for insect resistance
• CPC Class Codes: Y02A 40/146 Genetically Modified [GMO] plants, e.g. transgenic plants

Abstract

The present invention is directed to controlling pest infestation by inhibiting one or more biological functions in an invertebrate pest. The invention discloses methods and compositions for use in controlling pest infestation by feeding one or more different recombinant double stranded RNA molecules to the pest in order to achieve a reduction in pest infestation through suppression of gene expression. The invention is also directed to methods for making transgenic plants that express the double stranded RNA molecules, and to particular combinations of transgenic pesticidal agents for use in protecting plants from pest infestation.

Claims

1-30. -30. (canceled)

31. A transgenic plant comprising:

a) a transgene encoding a dsRNA for suppression of an essential gene in a first target pest; and

b) a transgene encoding a pesticide exhibiting biological activity against a second target pest.

32. The transgenic plant of claim 31, wherein said second target pest is the same pest as said first target pest.

33. The transgenic plant of claim 31, wherein said second target pest is different from said first target pest.

34. The transgenic plant of claim 31, wherein the plant is selected from the group consisting of alfalfa, aneth, apple, apricot, artichoke, arugula, asparagus, avocado, banana, barley, beans, beet, blackberry, blueberry, broccoli, brussel sprouts, cabbage, canola, cantaloupe, carrot, cassava, cauliflower, celery, cherry, cilantro, citrus, clementine, coffee, corn, cotton, cucumber, Douglas fir, eggplant, endive, escarole, eucalyptus, fennel, figs, gourd, grape, grapefruit, honey dew, jicama, kiwifruit, lettuce, leeks, lemon, lime, Loblolly pine, mango, melon, mushroom, nut, oat, okra, onion, orange, an ornamental plant, papaya, parsley, pea, peach, peanut, pear, pepper, persimmon, pine, pineapple, plantain, plum, pomegranate, poplar, potato, pumpkin, quince, radiata pine, radicchio, radish, raspberry, rice, rye, sorghum, Southern pine, soybean, spinach, squash, strawberry, sugarbeet, sugarcane, sunflower, sweet potato, sweetgum, tangerine, tea, tobacco, tomato, turf, a vine, watermelon, wheat, yams, and zucchini plants.

35. The transgenic plant of claim 31, wherein said essential gene is a target gene encoding a protein, the predicted function of which is selected from the group of functions consisting of muscle formation, juvenile hormone formation, juvenile hormone regulation, ion regulation and transport, digestive enzyme synthesis, maintenance of cell membrane potential, amino acid biosynthesis, amino acid degradation, sperm formation, pheromone synthesis, pheromone sensing, antennae formation, wing formation, leg formation, development and differentiation, egg formation, larval maturation, digestive enzyme formation, haemolymph synthesis, haemolymph maintenance, neurotransmission, cell division, energy metabolism, respiration, and apoptosis.

36. The transgenic plant of claim 31, wherein said pesticide is an agent selected from the group consisting of a patatin, a Bacillus thuringiensis insecticidal protein, a Xenorhabdus insecticidal protein, a Photorhabdus insecticidal protein, a Bacillus laterosporous insecticidal protein, and a Bacillus sphearicus insecticidal protein.

37. The transgenic plant of claim 36, wherein said Bacillus thuringiensis insecticidal protein is selected from the group consisting of a Cry1, a Cry3, a TIC851, a CryET70, a Cry22, a binary insecticidal protein CryET33 and CryET34, a binary insecticidal protein CryET80 and CryET76, a binary insecticidal protein TIC100 and TIC101, and a binary insecticidal protein PS149B1, a VIP insecticidal protein, a TIC900 or related protein, a TIC901, a TIC1201, a TIC407, a TIC417, and an insecticidal chimera thereof.

38. The transgenic plant of claim 31, wherein said first or second target pest is an agricultural pest selected from the group consisting of insects, mites, fungi, yeasts, molds, bacteria, nematodes, weeds, and parasitic and saprophytic plants.

39. The transgenic plant of claim 38, wherein said agricultural pest is selected from the group consisting of an insect pest and a nematode pest.

40. The transgenic plant of claim 38, wherein said agricultural pest is an insect pest selected from the group consisting of a Lepidopteran pest, a Coleopteran pest, a Hemipteran pest, and a Dipteran pest.

41. The transgenic plant of claim 40, wherein said Coleopteran pest is selected from the group consisting of a Diabrotica species, a Colorado Potato Beetle (CPB, Leptinotarsa decemlineata), Cotton Ball Weevil (BWV, Anthonomus grandis), and a Red Flour Beetle (RFB, Tribolium castaneum).

42. The transgenic plant of claim 40, wherein said Lepidopteran pest is selected from the group consisting of European Corn Borer (ECB, Ostrinia nubilalis), Black Cutworm (BCW, Agrotis ipsilon), Corn Earworm (CEW, Helicoverpa zea), Fall Armyworm (FAW, Spodoptera frugiperda), and silkworms (Bombyx mori), Manduca sexta.

43. The transgenic plant of claim 40, wherein said Hemipteran pest is a lygus bug.

44. The transgenic plant of claim 41, wherein said Diabrotica species is selected from the group consisting of Diabrotica virgifera, Diabrotica barberi, and Diabrotica undecimpunctata.

45. The transgenic plant of claim 31, wherein said transgenic plant is provided in the diet of said first or second target pest in a pest inhibitory amount and inhibits the pest from feeding on said diet.

46. The transgenic plant of claim 31, wherein said plant comprises increased resistance to said first or second target pest.

47. The transgenic plant of claim 31, wherein said plant comprises increased yield.

48. The transgenic plant of claim 31, wherein the essential gene comprises a sequence selected from the group consisting of SEQ ID NO:

1 through SEQ ID NO;

143, and SEQ ID NO;

169 through SEQ ID NO;

174.

49. The transgenic plant of claim 31, wherein the transgene encoding the dsRNA comprises a sequence selected from the group consisting of SEQ ID NO:

1 through SEQ ID NO;

143, and SEQ ID NO;

169 through SEQ ID NO;

174 or a fragment thereof.

50. A commodity or commodity product produced from the transgenic plant of claim 31, wherein said commodity or commodity product comprises a detectable amount of a transgene encoding said dsRNA or a detectable amount of the dsRNA.

51. A progeny plant or seed of the transgenic plant of claim 31, wherein the progeny plant or seed comprises said transgenes.

52. The transgenic plant of claim 31, further comprising a herbicide resistance gene conferring resistance to glyphosate.