Methods and compositions for tobacco plants with reduced nicotine

Abstract

DNA encoding a plant quinolate phosphoribosyl transferase (QPRTase) enzyme, and constructs comprising such DNA are provided. Methods of altering quinolate phosphoribosyl transferase expression are provided.

1 - 93 . (canceled)  
     
     
         94 . A transgenic tobacco plant of the genus  Nicotiana  having reduced quinolate phosphoribosyl transferase (QPRTase) production relative to a non-transformed control plant, said transgenic plant comprising transgenic plant cells containing: 
 an exogenous nucleic acid construct comprising, in the 5′ to 3′ direction, a promoter operable in said plant cell and a heterologous nucleic acid operably associated with said promoter;    said plant exhibiting reduced QPRTase production compared to a non-transformed control plant and;    said heterologous nucleic acid comprising at least 15 nucleotides of a nucleotide sequence selected from the group consisting of: 
 (a) the nucleotide sequence or the complement thereof of SEQ ID NO: 1;  
 (b) a nucleotide sequence that encodes an enzyme having the amino acid sequence of SEQ ID NO:2;  
 (c) a nucleotide sequence having at least 80% identity with the nucleotide sequence of (a) or (b) above and that encodes a quinolate phosphoribosyl transferase;  
 (d) a nucleotide sequence that hybridizes to the nucleotide sequence of (a) or (b) above under stringent conditions and that encodes a quinolate phosphoribosyl transferase enzyme; and  
 (e) a nucleotide sequence that differs from the DNA of (a), (b), (c) or (d) above due  
   to the degeneracy of the genetic code and that encodes a quinolate phosphoribosyl transferase enzyme,    and wherein said transgenic plant further comprises a transgene encoding a heterologous protein of interest.    
     
     
         95 . The transgenic tobacco plant of claim  1 , wherein the heterologous protein of interest is a  Bacillus thuringiensis  insecticidal protein.  
     
     
         96 . A method of producing a heterologous protein of interest in a plant, comprising: 
 a) growing the transgenic tobacco plant of claim  1 ; and    b) collecting the heterologous protein of interest from said transgenic tobacco plant.    
     
     
         97 . The method of claim  3 , wherein the heterologous protein of interest is a  Bacillus thuringiensis  insecticidal protein.  
     
     
         98 . The transgenic tobacco plant of claim  1 , wherein said heterologous nucleic acid is in antisense orientation.  
     
     
         99 . The transgenic tobacco plant of claim  1 , wherein said heterologous nucleic acid is in sense orientation.  
     
     
         100 . The method of claim  3 , wherein said heterologous nucleic acid is in antisense orientation.  
     
     
         101 . The method of claim  3 , wherein said heterologous nucleic acid is in sense orientation.