Use of VLCFAE for identifying herbicidally active compounds

Abstract

The invention relates to the use of nucleic acids which code for plant polypeptides with the biological activity of very long chain fatty acid elongases and to the use of the polypeptides encoded thereby for identifying novel, herbicidally active compounds, and to methods for finding modulators of these polypeptides.

1 - 24 . (Cancelled).  
     
     
         25 . A plant cell having a hetrologous nucleic acid stably integrated into its genome, said DNA comprising a heterologous nucleic acid encoding a polypeptide having the biological activity of a very long chain fatty acid elongase and having an identity of at least 90% to the sequence of SEQ ID NO:2.  
     
     
         26 . The cell of  claim 25  wherein said nucleic acid encodes a polypeptide having an increased enzymatic activity relative to the polypeptide of SEQ ID NO:2.  
     
     
         27 . The cell of  claim 25  wherein said nucleic acid encodes a polypeptide having a reduced enzymatic activity relative to the polypeptide of SEQ ID NO:2.  
     
     
         28 . The cell of  claim 25  wherein said nucleic acid also comprises a heterologous promoter and wherein said nucleic acid is under the control of said promoter.  
     
     
         29 . The cell of  claim 25  wherein the intracellular concentration of said polypeptide is increased relative to a wild-type plant cell expressing a polypeptide having the biological activity of a very long chain fatty acid elongase and having an identity of at least 90% to the sequence of SEQ ID NO:2.  
     
     
         30 . The cell of  claim 25  wherein the intracellular concentration of said polypeptide is reduced relative to a wild-type plant cell expressing a polypeptide having the biological activity of a very long chain fatty acid elongase and having an identity of at least 90% to the sequence of SEQ ID NO:2.  
     
     
         31 . The cell of  claim 25  wherein said nucleic acid encodes a polypeptide having an increased resistance to a herbicide, said herbicide having an activity on polypeptides having the biological activity of a very long chain fatty acid elongase.  
     
     
         32 . The cell of  claim 25  wherein said nucleic acid encodes a polypeptide having an increased resistance to a herbicide, said herbicide being flufenacet.  
     
     
         33 . A plant which consists of the cells of  claim 25 .  
     
     
         34 . A plant which consists of the cells of  claim 26 .  
     
     
         35 . A plant which consists of the cells of  claim 27 .  
     
     
         36 . A plant which consists of the cells of  claim 28 .  
     
     
         37 . A plant which consists of the cells of  claim 29 .  
     
     
         38 . A plant which consists of the cells of  claim 30 .  
     
     
         39 . A plant which consists of the cells of  claim 31 .  
     
     
         40 . A plant which consists of the cells of  claim 32.