Interspecific nicotiana hybrids and their progeny

Abstract

The present invention relates to novel interspecific Nicotiana excelsior×N. benthamiana hybrid seeds and plants and to a method of producing interspecific Nicotiana hybrids having enhanced properties for biomass and the production of recombinant proteins using a viral vector system.

1 . An interspecific Nicotiana hybrid of  Nicotiana Excelsior×N. Benthamiana , wherein a sample of said seed has been deposited under ATCC Accession No. PTA-323.  
     
     
         2 . A plant, or its parts, produced by growing the seed of  claim 1 .  
     
     
         3 . Pollen of the plant of  claim 2 .  
     
     
         4 . An ovule of the plant of  claim 2 .  
     
     
         5 . A Nicotiana plant having essentially all of the physiological and morphological characteristics of the Nicotiana plant of  claim 2 , or its parts.  
     
     
         6 . Tissue culture of the seed of  claim 1 .  
     
     
         7 . A Nicotiana plant regenerated from the tissue culture of  claim 6 .  
     
     
         8 . Tissue culture of regenerable cells of the plant, or its parts, of  claim 2 .  
     
     
         9 . The tissue culture of  claim 8  wherein the regenerable cells are embryos, meristematic cells, pollen, leaves, anthers, roots, root tips, flowers, seeds, stems, pods, or protoplasts or calli derived therefrom.  
     
     
         10 . A Nicotiana plant regenerated from the tissue culture of  claim 9 .  
     
     
         11 . A method of producing backcross progeny from interspecific Nicotiana hybrids comprising: 
 a. selecting one parent of an interspecific hybrid as a recurrent parent based on biomass greater than the primary interspecific hybrid;    b. backcrossing said interspecific hybrid to the recurrent parent and collecting the resulting seed.    
     
     
         12 . The seed produced from the method of  claim 11 .  
     
     
         13 . A Nicotiana plant, or its parts, produced by growing the seed of  claim 12 .  
     
     
         14 . Tissue culture of regenerable cells of the plant, or its parts, of  claim 13 , wherein the regenerable cells are selected from the group consisting of: embryos, meristematic cells, pollen, leaves, anthers, roots, root tips, flower, seeds, stems, protoplasts and calli derived therefrom.  
     
     
         15 . A method of producing backcross progeny from interspecific Nicotiana hybrids comprising: 
 a. selecting one parent of an interspecific hybrid as a recurrent parent based on capacity for high level expression of systemic protein from a viral vector;    b. backcrossing said interspecific hybrid to the recurrent parent and collecting the resulting seed.    
     
     
         16 . The seed produced from the method of  claim 15 .  
     
     
         17 . A Nicotiana plant, or its parts, produced by growing the seed of  claim 16 .  
     
     
         18 . Tissue culture of regenerable cells of the plant, or its parts, of  claim 17 , wherein the regenerable cells are selected from the group consisting of: embryos, meristematic cells, pollen, leaves, anthers, roots, root tips, flower, seeds, stems, protoplasts and calli derived therefrom.