Family of maize PR-1 genes and promoters

Abstract

The present invention provides compositions and methods for regulating expression of heterologous nucleotide sequences in a plant. Compositions are novel nucleotide sequences for inducible and constitutive promoters isolated from a family of maize genes encoding pathogenesis-related (PR-1) proteins, nucleotide sequences for these maize PR-1 genes, and amino acid sequences for the PR-1 proteins encoded thereby. Methods for regulating expression of a heterologous nucleotide sequence in a plant in an inducible or constitutive manner are provided, more particularly regulating expression of a PR-1 gene to enhance disease resistance in a plant. The methods comprise transforming a plant cell to comprise a heterologous nucleotide sequence or PR-1 gene operably linked to one of the inducible or constitutive promoters of the present invention and regenerating a stably transformed plant from the transformed plant cell. Transformed plants and seeds having enhanced disease resistance are also provided.

What is claimed is:  
     
         1 . An isolated nucleic acid molecule comprising a nucleotide sequence selected from the group consisting of: 
 a) a nucleotide sequence comprising the sequence set forth in SEQ ID NO:6, 8, 10, or 14;    b) a nucleotide sequence encoding a plant protein, wherein said sequence is contained in a plasmid deposited as ATCC Accession Nos. 207134, 207136, 207135, or 207137;    c) a nucleotide sequence encoding a polypeptide comprising the amino acid sequence set forth in SEQ ID NO:7, 9, 11, or 15;    d) a nucleotide sequence comprising at least 16 contiguous nucleotides of a sequence of a), b), or c); and    e) a nucleotide sequence that hybridizes under stringent conditions to a sequence of a), b), c), or d).    
     
     
         2 . A DNA construct comprising a nucleotide sequence of    claim 1    operably linked to a promoter that drives expression in a plant cell.  
     
     
         3 . A vector comprising the DNA construct of    claim 2   .  
     
     
         4 . A host cell having stably incorporated in its genome the DNA construct of    claim 2   .  
     
     
         5 . A method for creating or enhancing disease resistance in a plant, said method comprising transforming said plant with a DNA construct comprising a PR-1 sequence operably linked to a promoter that drives expression of a coding sequence in a plant cell and regenerating stably transformed plants, wherein said PR-1 sequence is selected from the group consisting of: 
 a) a nucleotide sequence comprising the sequence set forth in SEQ ID NO:6, 8, 10, or 14;    b) a nucleotide sequence encoding a plant protein, wherein said sequence is contained in a plasmid deposited as ATCC Accession Nos. 207134, 207136, 207135, or 207137;    c) a nucleotide sequence encoding a polypeptide comprising the amino acid sequence set forth in SEQ ID NO:7, 9, 11, or 15;    d) a nucleotide sequence comprising at least 16 contiguous nucleotides of a sequence of a), b), or c); and    e) a nucleotide sequence that hybridizes under stringent conditions to a sequence of a), b), c), or d).    
     
     
         6 . The method of    claim 5   , wherein said plant is a monocot.  
     
     
         7 . The method of    claim 6   , wherein said monocot is maize.  
     
     
         8 . The method of    claim 5   , wherein said promoter is a constitutive promoter.  
     
     
         9 . The method of    claim 8   , wherein said constitutive promoter is the promoter for PR-1#93.  
     
     
         10 . The method of    claim 5   , wherein said promoter is an inducible promoter.  
     
     
         11 . The method of    claim 10   , wherein said inducible promoter is selected from the group consisting of promoters for PR-1#52, PR-1#71, PR-1 #81, and PR-1#83.  
     
     
         12 . A plant cell stably transformed with a DNA construct comprising a PR-1 sequence operably linked to a promoter that drives expression of a coding sequence in a plant cell, wherein said PR-1 sequence is selected from the group consisting of: 
 a) a nucleotide sequence comprising the sequence set forth in SEQ ID NO:6, 8, 10, or 14;    b) a nucleotide sequence encoding a plant protein, wherein said sequence is contained in a plasmid deposited as ATCC Accession Nos. 207134, 207136, 107135, or 207137;    c) a nucleotide sequence encoding a polypeptide comprising the amino acid sequence set forth in SEQ ID NO:7, 9, 11, or 15;    d) a nucleotide sequence comprising at least 16 contiguous nucleotides of a sequence of a), b), or c); and    e) a nucleotide sequence that hybridizes under stringent conditions to a sequence of a), b), c), or d).    
     
     
         13 . The plant cell of    claim 12   , wherein said cell is from a monocot plant.  
     
     
         14 . The plant cell of    claim 13   , wherein said monocot plant is maize.  
     
     
         15 . The plant cell of    claim 12   , wherein said promoter is a constitutive promoter.  
     
     
         16 . The plant cell of    claim 15   , wherein said constitutive promoter is the promoter for PR-1#93.  
     
     
         17 . The plant cell of    claim 12   , wherein said promoter is an inducible promoter.  
     
     
         18 . The plant cell of    claim 17   , wherein said inducible promoter is selected from the group consisting of promoters for PR-1#52, PR-1#71, PR-1#81, and PR-1#83.  
     
     
         19 . A plant stably transformed with a DNA construct comprising a PR-1 sequence operably linked to a promoter that drives expression of a coding sequence in a plant cell, wherein said PR-1 sequence is selected from the group consisting of: 
 a) a nucleotide sequence comprising the sequence set forth in SEQ ID NO:6, 8, 10, or 14;    b) a nucleotide sequence encoding a plant protein, wherein said sequence is contained in a plasmid deposited as ATCC Accession Nos. 207134, 207136, 207135, or 207137;    c) a nucleotide sequence encoding a polypeptide comprising the amino acid sequence set forth in SEQ ID NO:7, 9, 11, or 15;    d) a nucleotide sequence comprising at least 16 contiguous nucleotides of a sequence of a), b), or c); and    e) a nucleotide sequence that hybridizes under stringent conditions to a sequence of a), b), c), or d).    
     
     
         20 . Seed of the plant of    claim 19   .  
     
     
         21 . The plant of    claim 19   , wherein said plant is a monocot.  
     
     
         22 . The plant of    claim 21   , wherein said monocot is maize.  
     
     
         23 . The plant of    claim 19   , wherein said promoter is a constitutive promoter.  
     
     
         24 . The plant of    claim 23   , wherein said constitutive promoter is PR-1#93.  
     
     
         25 . The plant of    claim 19   , wherein said promoter is an inducible promoter.  
     
     
         26 . The plant of    claim 25   , wherein said inducible promoter is selected from the group consisting of promoters for PR-1#52, PR-1#71, PR-1#81, and PR-1#83.