United States Patent (19) 11 Patent Number: 5,981,727 Baden Et Al
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USOO5981727A United States Patent (19) 11 Patent Number: 5,981,727 Baden et al. (45) Date of Patent: Nov. 9, 1999 54 PLANT GROUP 2 PROMOTERS AND USES OTHER PUBLICATIONS THEREOF Oommen et al (1994) The Plant Cell 6: 1789–1803. 75 Inventors: Catherine S. Baden, Martinez, Pamela Lewin, (1985) In: Genes II, Wiley and Sons, NY, pp. Dunsmuir, Piedmont; Kathleen Y. Lee, 182-183. Oakland, all of Calif. Van Haaven et al (1991) Plant Mol Biol 17: 615-630. 73 Assignee: DNA Plant Technology Corporation, Pear et al (1989) Plant Mol Biol 13: 639-651. Oakland, Calif. Primary Examiner Elizabeth F. McElwain 21 Appl. No.: 08/761,549 Attorney, Agent, or Firm Townsend and Townsend and 22 Filed: Dec. 6, 1996 Crew Related U.S. Application Data 57 ABSTRACT This invention relates to compositions and methods useful in 63 Continuation of application No. 08/289,458, Aug. 12, 1994, the production of transgenic plants. In particular, the inven Pat. No. 5,608,144. tion relates to Group 2 (Gp2) plant promoter Sequences and 51 Int. Cl. ............................ C12N 15700;s CO7H 21/04 to expressionp cassettes containingg Gp2Op.4 planlplant ppromoter 52 U.S. Cl. ...................... 536/23.6; 536/24.1; 435/1723 Sequences. The invention also relates to vectors and trans 58 Field of Search ........................... 800/205; 435/69.1, genic plants containing Gp2 plant promoter Sequences that 435/172.3, 419, 536/24.1, 23.6 are operably linked to heterologous DNA sequences. In addition, the invention relates to methods of producing 56) References Cited transgenic plants by using vectors containing Gp2 promoter Sequences. U.S. PATENT DOCUMENTS 5,110,732 5/1992 Beufey et al. ....................... 435/172.3 10 Claims, 8 Drawing Sheets U.S. Patent Nov. 9, 1999 Sheet 1 of 8 5,981,727 mature greer sugar beet sairror spefrn AF/O A. g k AIG 2. U.S. Patent Nov. 9, 1999 Sheet 2 of 8 5,981,727 280 bp A/6 3. U.S. Patent Nov. 9, 1999 Sheet 4 of 8 5,981,727 : 5. 5. 5 : g s : ATG PEP 4-2 O CODING REGION A/G 6. Smol/PVUI Apo I EcoRI. ATG D CODING REGION PEP4-6 A/G 6. U.S. Patent Nov. 9, 1999 Sheet 6 of 8 5,981,727 g s Gp2 (SHORT) ACCS nos3. -be PEP4- 6 ACCS A/G 3. U.S. Patent Nov. 9, 1999 Sheet 7 of 8 5,981,727 s o Q gig g CO C Z. X 5. 1. 6:35:23:525iSNS PEP4-6GUS e has E - h h e ea cyCh. Ol 5 o . s 386, 8 as 5 (f) < ?h C ?h a. (f) O Z s PEP4-2 3.8he sE. e 3.3as a H na (f) a C- C Ol a 2. X C ESSEESSESSEN PEP4-2GUS Gp2 PROMOTER O Gp2 CODING REGION ESE GUS CODING REGION N nos 3' ATG A/G 9. U.S. Patent Nov. 9, 1999 Sheet 8 of 8 5,981,727 pCP35M H a- H H O d O O amph 2 3 3 U-I-I - - - - Cell pG2-C O (BS+) 5 S E (f) Z U 2. O V Gp2 (LONG) Celt nos3. \ / V ^ V / V M V / V M V ^ V 1. V / V ^ V / V / WTT232 V / sure incs pvs. REPLIcon to Acyclisa RESISTANCE WTT2132/G2-CAO A/G /O 5,981,727 1 2 PLANT GROUP 2 PROMOTERS AND USES In contrast to constitutive promoters, tissue-specific pro THEREOF moters are generally isolated from the promoter regions of plant genes that are Selectively expressed in a specific plant This is a Continuation of application Ser. No. 08/289,458 tissue. These promoters can be fused with a heterologous filed Aug. 12, 1994 now U.S. Pat. No. 5,608,144, the DNA sequence and used to transform a plant cell to create disclosure of which is incorporated by reference. transgenic plants that Selectively express the heterologous DNA in a specific tissue. For example, the promoter regions BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION from the fruit-specific, ethylene regulated genes E4 and E8 This invention relates to compositions and methods useful and from the fruit-specific polygalacturonase gene have in the production of transgenic plants. In particular, the invention relates to Group 2 (Gp2) plant promoter Sequences been used to direct fruit Specific expression of a heterolo and to expression cassettes containing Gp2 plant promoter gous DNA sequence in transgenic tomato plants. (See Sequences. The invention also relates to Vectors and trans Cordes et al., Plant Cell (1989) 1; 1025-1034, Deikman and genic plants containing Gp2 plant promoter Sequences that Fischer, EMBO J. (1988) 7:3315–3320 and Della Penna et are operably linked to heterologous DNA sequences. In al., Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. USA (1986) 83:6420–6424.) 15 The discovery of both new constitutive promoters and addition, the invention relates to methods of producing new tissue-specific promoters is desired for the controlled transgenic plants by using vectors containing Gp2 promoter expression of various nucleic acid Sequences that are geneti Sequences. cally engineered into transgenic plants. There are many Isolated plant promoters are useful in the genetic engi valuable potential applications of genetic engineering of neering of plants to produce transgenic plants with desired plants. A variety of plant promoters with different charac phenotypic characteristics. In order to produce Such trans teristics and which are effective in different Species of plants genic plants, an isolated plant promoter is inserted into a is desirable in order to bring these potential applications into vector and operably linked to a heterologous DNA sequence. practice. Plant cells can then be transformed in a variety of ways by SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION DNA constructs containing an isolated plant promoter fused 25 to heterologous DNA sequences. The result of this transfor The present invention provides for an isolated plant Gp2 mation is that the plant promoter operably linked to the promoter containing a nucleic acid Sequence that is either heterologous DNA is inserted into the genome of the trans identical to or which has Substantial Sequence identity to the formed plant cell. Furthermore, the regulation of the heter nucleic acid Sequence depicted in Seq. ID No. 4. ologous DNA in the transformed plant cell can be controlled Preferentially, the Gp2 promoter is from a member of the by the expression of the promoter. family Solanaceae. More preferably, the Gp2 promoter is There are a variety of different approaches for producing from the genus Solanum of the family Solanaceae. The a desired phenotype in a transgenic plant, depending on the promoter can be, for example, from a pepper plant. The Gp2 nature of the heterologous Sequences coupled to the isolated promoter can be, for instance, either constitutive or tissue plant promoter. For example, expression of a novel gene that 35 Specific. Constitutive Gp2 promoters typically are from is not normally expressed in plant or in a particular tissue of about 250 to about 1,250 nucleotides in length. A preferred a plant may confer a phenotypic change. Alternatively, the constitutive Gp2 promoter is about 1,233 nucleotides in expression of a Sense or an anti-Sense construct introduced length. An example of Such a constitutive promoter is shown into transgenic plants can cause the inhibition of expression as Seq. ID No. 4. Tissue-specific Gp2 promoters are typi of endogenous plant genes. This inhibition of expression 40 cally from about 1,500 to about 3,500 nucleotides in length. can, in turn, produce the desired phenotypic change. TiSSue-specific promoters of the invention comprise a There is a need for a variety of different promoters to be nucleic acid Sequence that is identical to or which has used in the genetic engineering of plants. These promoters Substantial Sequence identity to the Gp2 promoter Sequence are of Several types. Constitutive promoters are one Such contained in plasmid PEP4-2GUS. A preferred a tissue commonly used type of promoter. Constitutive promoters 45 specific Gp2 promoter is about 2,700 nucleotides in length. are those which are capable of expressing operably linked An example of Such a promoter is the Gp2 promoter DNA sequences in all tissueS of a plant throughout normal sequence contained in plasmid PEP4-2GUS. development. In contrast to constitutive promoters, tissue In addition to the above described promoter Sequences, Specific promoters are those promoters that are capable of the present invention also provides for a vector having a Selectively expressing heterologous DNA sequences in cer 50 plant Gp2 promoter operably linked to a heterologous tain plant tissues. Tissue-specific promoters may also be nucleic acid Sequence. The promoter in Such a vector inducible, e.g., by application of external inducing agents. contains a nucleic acid Sequence that is either identical to or Constitutive and tissue-specific promoters are both used in has Substantial Sequence identity to the nucleic acid the genetic engineering of plants, and have value for many sequence shown as Seq. ID No. 4. The vector preferentially different potential applications in this field. 55 contains a promoter from the family Solanaceae and more Constitutive plant promoters may be obtained by isolating preferably from the genus Solanum. For instance, the pro the regulatory region of a plant gene that is constitutively moter can be from a pepper plant. The Gp2 promoter in the expressed. In addition to promoters obtained from plant vector can be, for example, either constitutive or tissue genes, there are also promoters of bacterial and viral origin Specific. A tissue-specific Gp2 promoter can have a nucleic which have been used to constitutively express novel 60 acid Sequence that is identical to or which has Substantial Sequences in plant tissues.