Cross-incompatibility traits from teosinte and their use in corn

Abstract

The present invention relates to a teosinte crossing barrier trait. Plants containing said trait exhibit the phenotype of cross-incompatiblity. The present invention also relates to new cross-incompatible plants, including inbred, hybrid, haploid, apomictic and/or genetically engineered plants, containing the teosinte crossing barrier trait and exhibiting commercially desirable characteristics.

1 . A cross-incompatible maize plant comprising a TCB trait.  
   
   
       2 . The cross-incompatible plant of  claim 1  wherein said plant fails to set seed when pollinated by plants lacking the TCB trait but sets seed when pollinated by plants carrying the TCB trait.  
   
   
       3 . The cross-incompatible plant of claims  1  or  2  wherein said plant maintains functional pollen and sets seed when pollinated by itself or causes other maize plants to set seed when pollinated by said plant.  
   
   
       4 . The cross-incompatible maize plant of  claim 1  wherein said maize plant is an inbred plant.  
   
   
       5 . The cross-incompatible maize plant of  claim 1  wherein said maize plant is a hybrid plant.  
   
   
       6 . The cross-incompatible maize plant of  claim 1  wherein said maize plant is a haploid plant.  
   
   
       7 . The cross-incompatible maize plant of  claim 1  wherein said maize plant is an apomictic maize plant.  
   
   
       8 . The cross-incompatible maize plant of claims  1 ,  4 ,  5 ,  6  or  7  wherein said plant is a genetically engineered plant.  
   
   
       9 . The cross-incompatible maize plant of  claim 9  further comprising a gene cluster within its genome wherein said gene cluster is located on the short arm of chromosome 4 between map units 40-85.  
   
   
       10 . The cross-incompatible maize plant of  claim 9  further comprising a Tcb locus within its genome.  
   
   
       11 . The cross-incompatible maize plant of  claim 10  wherein said Tcb locus is located on the short arm of chromosome 4 about 6 map units distal to the sugary1 gene and about 40 map units from the Ga1gene.  
   
   
       12 . The cross-incompatible maize plant of  claim 10  wherein said Tcb locus comprises at least one gene which encodes for a silk effect function in said plant.  
   
   
       13 . The cross-incompatible maize plant of claims  10  or  12  wherein said Tcb locus comprises at least one gene which encodes for a pollen effect function in said plant.  
   
   
       14 . The cross-incompatible maize plant of claims  9 ,  10 ,  12  or  13  further comprising at least one modifier gene within its genome.  
   
   
       15 . A cross-incompatible maize plant comprising a TCB trait and which (1) fails to set seed when pollinated by plants lacking the TCB trait but sets seed when pollinated by plants carrying the TCB trait; and (2) maintains functional pollen and sets seed when pollinated by itself or causes other maize plants to set seed when pollinated by said plant.  
   
   
       16 . The cross-incompatible maize plant of  claim 15  wherein said maize plant is an inbred plant.  
   
   
       17 . The cross-incompatible maize plant of  claim 15  wherein said maize plant is a hybrid plant.  
   
   
       18 . The cross-incompatible maize plant of  claim 15  wherein said maize plant is a haploid plant.  
   
   
       19 . The cross-incompatible maize plant of  claim 15  wherein said maize plant is an apomictic maize plant.  
   
   
       20 . The cross-incompatible maize plant of claims  15 ,  16 ,  17 ,  18  or  19  wherein said plant is a genetically engineered plant.  
   
   
       21 . The cross-incompatible maize plant of  claim 15  further comprising a gene cluster within its genome wherein said gene cluster is located on the short arm of chromosome 4 between map units 40-85.  
   
   
       22 . The cross-incompatible maize plant of  claim 21  further comprising a Tcb locus within its genome.  
   
   
       23 . The cross-incompatible maize plant of  claim 22  wherein said Tcb locus is located on the short arm of chromosome 4 about 6 map units distal to the sugary1 gene and about 40 map units from the Ga1gene.  
   
   
       24 . The cross-incompatible maize plant of  claim 22  wherein said Tcb locus comprises at least one gene which encodes for a silk effect function in said plant.  
   
   
       25 . The cross-incompatible maize plant of claims  22  or  24  wherein said Tcb locus comprises at least one gene which encodes for a pollen effect function in said plant.  
   
   
       26 . The cross-incompatible maize plant of claims  21 ,  22 ,  24  or  25  further comprising at least one modifier gene within its genome.  
   
   
       27 . A cross-incompatible maize plant comprising a TCB trait and wherein said TCB trait is derived from plant W22-TCB deposited as ATCC No. PTA-1601.  
   
   
       28 . The cross-incompatible maize plant of  claim 27  further comprising a gene cluster within its genome wherein said gene cluster is located on the short arm of chromosome 4 between map units 40-85.  
   
   
       29 . The cross-incompatible maize plant of  claim 28  further comprising a Tcb locus within its genome.  
   
   
       30 . The cross-incompatible maize plant of  claim 29  wherein said Tcb locus is located on the short arm of chromosome 4 about 6 map units distal to the sugary1 gene and about 40 map units from the Ga1gene.  
   
   
       31 . The cross-incompatible maize plant of  claim 29  wherein said Tcb locus comprises at least one gene which encodes for a silk effect function in said plant.  
   
   
       32 . The cross-incompatible maize plant of claims  29  or  31  wherein said Tcb locus comprises at least one gene which encodes for a pollen effect function in said plant.  
   
   
       33 . The cross-incompatible maize plant of claims  28 ,  29 ,  31  or  32  further comprising at least one modifier gene within its genome.  
   
   
       34 . The cross-incompatible maize plant of  claim 27  wherein said maize plant is an inbred plant.  
   
   
       35 . The cross-incompatible maize plant of  claim 27  wherein said maize plant is a hybrid plant.  
   
   
       36 . The cross-incompatible maize plant of  claim 27  wherein said maize plant is a haploid plant.  
   
   
       37 . The cross-incompatible maize plant of  claim 27  wherein said maize plant is an apomictic maize plant.  
   
   
       38 . The cross-incompatible maize plant of claims  34 ,  35 ,  36  or  37  wherein said plant is a genetically engineered plant.  
   
   
       39 . A process for obtaining an inbred maize plant, which when crossed with a second inbred maize plant, produces a hybrid maize plant which is cross-incompatible and contains a TCB trait, the process comprising the steps of: 
 a) selecting a first donor parental maize plant from a population of maize plants, wherein said first donor parental maize plant is cross-incompatible and contains a TCB trait;    b) crossing said selected first donor parental maize plant with a second parental maize plant containing genes which encode for desirable traits in hybrid combination;    c) collecting the seed resulting from the cross in step b);    d) planting and growing the seed collected in step c) under plant growth conditions;    e) screening the resulting plant population for the presence of the TCB trait identified in step (a); and    f) selecting plants from said population having the TCB trait for cross-incompatibility for further crossings and screenings until a line is obtained which is homozygous for the TCB trait for cross-incompatibility to provide such a trait in an inbred to be used in hybrid combination.    
   
   
       40 . The process of  claim 39  wherein the first donor parental maize plant further comprises a gene cluster within its genome wherein said gene cluster is located on the short arm of chromosome 4 between map units 40-85.  
   
   
       41 . The process of  claim 40  wherein the first donor parental maize plant further comprises a Tcb locus.  
   
   
       42 . The process of  claim 41  wherein said Tcb locus is located on the short arm of chromosome 4 about 6 map units distal to the sugary1 gene and about 40 map units from the Ga1gene.  
   
   
       43 . The process of  claim 41  wherein said Tcb locus comprises at least one gene which encodes for a silk effect function in said plant.  
   
   
       44 . The process of claims  41  or  43  wherein said Tcb locus comprises at least one gene which encodes for a pollen effect function in said plant.  
   
   
       45 . The process of claims  40 ,  41 ,  43  or  44  wherein the first donor parental maize plant further comprises at least one modifier gene.  
   
   
       46 . The process of  claim 39  wherein the second parental maize plant is cross-incompatible and comprises a TCB trait.  
   
   
       47 . A cross-incompatible inbred maize plant comprising a TCB trait produced by the process of  claim 39 .  
   
   
       48 . A process for producing a cross-incompatible hybrid maize plant exhibiting a TCB trait, the process comprising the steps of: 
 a) crossing the inbred maize plant of  claim 39  with a second maize inbred line comprising genes encoding desirable phenotypic traits to produce a segregating plant population; and    b) collecting the hybrid seed resulting from the cross in step a).    
   
   
       49 . The process of  claim 48  wherein the second maize inbred line is cross-incompatible and comprises a TCB trait.  
   
   
       50 . A cross-incompatible hybrid maize plant comprising a TCB trait produced by the process of  claim 48 .  
   
   
       51 . A process for selecting a first donor parental maize plant suitable for use in producing an inbred maize plant, which inbred maize plant, if crossed with a second inbred maize plant, produces a hybrid maize plant which is cross-incompatible and contains a TCB trait, the process comprising the steps of: 
 analyzing each plant from a population of maize plants for the presence of a TCB trait.    
   
   
       52 . The process of  claim 51  further comprising the step of analyzing the DNA of each plant from said population for a gene cluster within its genome wherein said gene cluster is located on the short arm of chromosome 4 between map units 40-85.  
   
   
       53 . The process of  claim 52  further comprising the step of analyzing the DNA of each plant from said population for a Tcb locus.  
   
   
       54 . The process of  claim 53  wherein said Tcb locus is located on the short arm of chromosome 4 about 6 map units distal to the sugary1 gene and about 40 map units from the gene Ga1gene.  
   
   
       55 . The process of  claim 53  further comprising the step of analyzing the DNA of each plant from said population for at least one gene which encodes for a silk effect function in said plant.  
   
   
       56 . The process of claims  52 ,  53  or  55  further comprising the step of analyzing the DNA of each plant from said population for at least one gene which encodes for a pollen effect function in said plant.  
   
   
       57 . The process of claims  52 ,  53 ,  55  or  56  further comprising the step of analyzing the DNA of each plant of said population for at least one modifier gene.  
   
   
       58 . A cross-incompatible first donor parental maize plant comprising a TCB trait produced by the process of  claim 51 .  
   
   
       59 . A process for selecting a cross-incompatible hybrid maize plant containing a TCB trait, the process comprising the steps of: 
 analyzing each plant from a population of hybrid maize plants for the a TCB trait.    
   
   
       60 . The process of  claim 59  further comprising the step of analyzing the DNA of each plant from said population for a gene cluster wherein said gene cluster is located on the short arm of chromosome 4 between map units 40-85.  
   
   
       61 . The process of  claim 60  further comprising the step of analyzing the DNA of each plant from said population for a Tcb locus.  
   
   
       62 . The process of  claim 61  wherein said Tcb locus is located on the short arm of chromosome 4 about 6 map units distal to the sugary1 gene and about 40 map units from the gene Ga1gene.  
   
   
       63 . The process of  claim 61  further comprising the step of analyzing the DNA of each plant from said population for at least one gene which encodes for a silk effect function in said plant.  
   
   
       64 . The process of claims  61  or  63  further comprising the step of analyzing the DNA of each plant from said population for at least one gene which encodes for a pollen effect function in said plant.  
   
   
       65 . The process of claims  60 ,  61 ,  63  or  64  further comprising the step of analyzing the DNA of each plant of said population for at least one modifier gene.  
   
   
       66 . A cross-incompatible hybrid maize plant comprising a TCB trait produced by the process of  claim 60 .  
   
   
       67 . A process of controlling hybridization of a maize plant in a field, the process comprising the step of planting in a field a cross-incompatible maize plant of claims  1 ,  4 ,  5 ,  7 ,  8 ,  15 ,  16 ,  17 ,  19 ,  20 ,  27 ,  34 ,  35 ,  37 ,  38 ,  47 ,  50 ,  58  or  66 .  
   
   
       68 . A process of controlling hybridization of inbred maize plants in a field being used in hybrid seed production, the process comprising the step of planting in a field being used for hybrid seed production, a cross-incompatible inbred maize plant of claims  4 ,  8 ,  16 ,  20 ,  34 ,  38 ,  47  or  58 .