Wound-inducible expression in plants

Abstract

The invention relates to a method for producing plants in which expression of an insecticidal protein is regulated by the wound-inducible TR2′ promoter, to the chimeric genes used in this method and the plants obtained thereby.

1 . A monocotyledonous plant, which is an insect-resistant plant, or a cell or tissue thereof, comprising, stably integrated into its genome, a chimeric gene comprising a DNA sequence encoding an insecticidal protein under control of a promoter region comprising the TR2′ promoter.  
     
     
         2 . The plant, cell or tissue of  claim 1 , wherein said insecticidal protein is a  Bacillus thuringiensis  toxin.  
     
     
         3 . The plant, cell or tissue of  claim 1 , wherein said TR2′ promoter is the promoter of SEQ ID NO: 1.  
     
     
         4 . A method for obtaining wound-induced expression of an insecticidal toxin in a monocot plant, said method comprising introducing into the plant a foreign DNA comprising a chimeric gene comprising: 
 a DNA sequence encoding an insecticidal protein    a plant-expressible promoter region comprising the TR2′ promoter.    
     
     
         5 . A method for making an insect resistant monocotyledonous plant, said method comprising introducing into the genome of said plant a foreign DNA comprising a chimeric gene comprising: 
 a DNA sequence encoding an insecticidal protein    a plant-expressible promoter region comprising the TR2′ promoter.    
     
     
         6 . A method for obtaining increased expression of an insecticidal protein in a monocot plant upon wounding, whereby expression in the leaves of said plant at stage V4 in the greenhouse, in the absence of wounding is 0.005% total soluble protein or less, and upon wounding increases to 0.04% total soluble protein, said method comprising introducing into the genome of said plant a foreign DNA comprising a chimeric gene comprising: 
 a DNA sequence encoding an insecticidal protein    a plant-expressible promoter region comprising the TR2′ promoter.    
     
     
         7 . The method of  claim 4 , wherein said insecticidal protein is a Bt protein.  
     
     
         8 . The method of  claim 7 , wherein said Bt protein is selected from the group of Cry1Ab, Cry1F, Cry2Ab.  
     
     
         9 . The method of  claim 5 , wherein said insecticidal protein is a Bt protein.  
     
     
         10 . The method of  claim 9 , wherein said Bt protein is selected from the group of Cry1Ab, Cry1F, Cry2Ab.  
     
     
         11 . The method of  claim 6 , wherein said insecticidal protein is a Bt protein.  
     
     
         12 . The method of  claim 11 , wherein said Bt protein is selected from the group of Cry1Ab, Cry1F, Cry2Ab.  
     
     
         13 . The plant of  claim 1 , wherein, in the absence of wounding, expression of said insecticidal protein is below 0.005% total soluble protein in leaves of V4 stage of said plants as measured in the greenhouse by an insecticidal protein-specific ELISA.  
     
     
         14 . The plant, cell or tissue of  claim 1  which is a graminae plant, cell or tissue.  
     
     
         15 . The plant, cell or tissue of  claim 1 , which is a corn plant, cell or tissue.  
     
     
         16 . The plant, cell or tissue of  claim 2 , wherein said protein is the protein encoded by SEQ ID NO: 3.  
     
     
         17 . A chimeric gene for use in the method of  claim 4 .  
     
     
         18 . A chimeric gene for use in the method of  claim 5 .  
     
     
         19 . A chimeric gene for use in the method of  claim 6.