Nucleic acid molecules and other molecules associated with the beta-oxidation pathway

Abstract

The present invention is in the field of plant biochemistry, particularly as it pertains to the β-oxidation pathway. More specifically, the invention relates to nucleic acid molecules that encode proteins and fragments of proteins associated with the b-oxidation pathway, the proteins and fragments of proteins so encoded, and antibodies capable of binding the proteins. The invention also relates to methods of using the nucleic acid molecules, proteins, and fragments of proteins.

We claim:  
     
         1 . A substantially purified nucleic acid molecule encoding a plant acyl-CoA oxidase enzyme or enzyme fragment wherein said nucleic acid molecule does not comprise the nucleic acid sequence of SEQ ID NO: 11.  
     
     
         2 . The substantially purified nucleic acid molecule according to  claim 1 , wherein said nucleic acid molecule comprises a nucleic acid sequence having about 90% to about 100% sequence identity with a nucleic acid sequence selected from the group consisting of SEQ ID NO: 1, SEQ ID NO: 5, SEQ ID NO: 9 and complements thereof.  
     
     
         3 . The substantially purified nucleic acid molecule according to  claim 2 , wherein said nucleic acid molecule comprises a nucleic acid sequence having about 95% to about 100% sequence identity with a nucleic acid sequence selected from the group consisting of SEQ ID NO: 1, SEQ ID NO: 5, SEQ ID NO: 9 and complements thereof.  
     
     
         4 . The substantially purified nucleic acid molecule according to  claim 3 , wherein said nucleic acid molecule comprises a nucleic acid sequence having about 99% to about 100% sequence identity with a nucleic acid sequence selected from the group consisting of SEQ ID NO: 1, SEQ ID NO: 5, SEQ ID NO: 9 and complements thereof.  
     
     
         5 . The substantially purified nucleic acid molecule according to  claim 1 , wherein said enzyme or enzyme fragment comprises an amino acid sequence having about 95% to about 100% sequence identity with an amino acid sequence selected from the group consisting of SEQ ID NO: 2, SEQ ID NO: 6 and SEQ ID NO: 10.  
     
     
         6 . The substantially purified nucleic acid molecule according to  claim 5 , wherein said enzyme or enzyme fragment comprises an amino acid sequence having at least one conservative variation.  
     
     
         7 . The substantially purified nucleic acid molecule according to  claim 1 , wherein said plant is selected from the group consisting of alfalfa, Arabidopsis, barley, Brassica, broccoli, cabbage, citrus, cotton, garlic, oat, oilseed rape, onion, canola, flax, an ornamental plant, peanut, pepper, potato, rice, rye, sorghum, strawberry, sugarcane, sugarbeet, tomato, wheat, poplar, pine, fir, eucalyptus, apple, lettuce, lentils, grape, banana, tea, turf grasses, sunflower, soybean, maize, and Phaseolus.  
     
     
         8 . The substantially purified nucleic acid molecule according to  claim 7 , wherein said plant is selected from the group of Arabidopsis, soybean and maize.  
     
     
         9 . A plant cell comprising a heterologous acyl-CoA oxidase enzyme or enzyme fragment comprising an amino acid sequence selected from the group consisting of SEQ ID NO: 2, SEQ ID NO: 6 and SEQ ID NO: 10.  
     
     
         10 . The plant cell according to  claim 9 , wherein said plant cell is selected from the group consisting of Arabidopsis, cotton, wheat, maize and soybean.  
     
     
         11 . The plant cell according to  claim 10 , wherein said plant cell is selected from the group consisting of maize and soybean.  
     
     
         12 . A substantially purified plant acyl-CoA oxidase enzyme or enzyme fragment, wherein said enzyme is encoded by a substantially purified nucleic acid molecule comprising a nucleic acid sequence selected from the group consisting of SEQ ID NO: 1, SEQ ID NO: 5, SEQ ID NO: 9 and complements thereof.  
     
     
         13 . A substantially purified nucleic acid molecule comprising a nucleic acid sequence selected from the group consisting of SEQ ID NO: 5, SEQ ID NO: 9 and complements thereof.  
     
     
         14 . The substantially purified nucleic acid molecule according to  claim 13 , wherein said nucleic acid molecule consists of a nucleic acid sequence selected from the group consisting of SEQ ID NO: 5, SEQ ID NO: 9 and complements thereof.