Nucleic Acid Molecules and Other Molecules Associated with Plants

Abstract

Expressed Sequence Tags (ESTs) isolated from soybean are disclosed. The ESTs provide a unique molecular tool for the targeting and isolation of novel genes for plant protection and improvement. The disclosed ESTs have utility in the development of new strategies for understanding critical plant developmental and metabolic pathways. The disclosed ESTs have particular utility in isolating genes and promoters, identifying and mapping the genes involved in developmental and metabolic pathways, and determining gene function. Sequence homology analyses using the ESTs provided in the present invention, will result in more efficient gene screening for desirable agronomic traits. An expanding database of these select pieces of the plant genomics puzzle will quickly expand the knowledge necessary for subsequent functional validation, a key limitation in current plant biotechnology efforts.

1 . A substantially purified nucleic acid molecule that encodes a soybean protein or fragment thereof comprising a sequence selected from the group consisting of SEQ ID NO: 1 through SEQ ID NO: 5521.  
     
     
         2 . A substantially purified soybean protein or fragment thereof, wherein said soybean protein is encoded by a nucleic acid molecule that comprises a nucleic acid sequence selected from the group consisting of SEQ ID NO: 1 through SEQ ID NO: 5521.  
     
     
         3 . A substantially purified antibody or fragment thereof which is capable of specifically binding to a specific maize or soybean enzyme or fragment thereof according to  claim 2 .  
     
     
         4 . A transformed plant having a nucleic acid molecule which comprises: 
 (a) an exogenous promoter region which functions in a plant cell to cause the production of a mRNA molecule;    (b) a structural nucleic acid molecule comprising a nucleic acid sequence selected from the group consisting of SEQ ID NO: 1 through SEQ ID NO: 5521 or complements thereof;    (c) a 3′ non-translated sequence that functions in said plant cell to cause termination of transcription and addition of polyadenylated ribonucleotides to a 3′ end of said mRNA molecule.    
     
     
         5 . The transformed plant according to  claim 4 , wherein said structural nucleic acid molecule is a complement of any of the nucleic acid sequences of SEQ ID NO: 1 through SEQ ID NO: 5521.  
     
     
         6 . The transformed plant according to  claim 5 , wherein said plant is soybean or maize.  
     
     
         7 . The transformed plant according to  claim 5 , wherein said plant is soybean.  
     
     
         8 . A method for determining a level or pattern in a plant cell of a protein in a plant comprising: 
 (a) incubating, under conditions permitting nucleic acid hybridization, a marker nucleic acid molecule, said marker nucleic acid molecule selected from the group of marker nucleic acid molecules which specifically hybridize to a nucleic acid molecule having the nucleic acid sequence selected from the group consisting of SEQ ID NO: 1 through SEQ ID NO: 5521 or complement thereof, with a complementary nucleic acid molecule obtained from said plant cell or plant tissue, wherein nucleic acid hybridization between said marker nucleic acid molecule and said complementary nucleic acid molecule obtained from said plant cell or plant tissue permits the detection of an mRNA for said enzyme;    (b) permitting hybridization between said marker nucleic acid molecule and said complementary nucleic acid molecule obtained from said plant cell or plant tissue; and    (c) detecting the level or pattern of said complementary nucleic acid, wherein the detection of said complementary nucleic acid is predictive of the level or pattern of said protein.    
     
     
         9 . The method of  claim 8 , wherein said level or pattern is detected by in situ hybridization.  
     
     
         10 . The method of  claim 8 , wherein said level or pattern is detected by tissue printing.  
     
     
         11 . The method of  claim 8 , wherein said plant is maize or soybean.  
     
     
         12 . The method of  claim 11 , wherein said plant is soybean.  
     
     
         13 . A method of determining a mutation in a plant whose presence is predictive of a mutation affecting a level or pattern of a protein comprising the steps: 
 (a) incubating, under conditions permitting nucleic acid hybridization, a marker nucleic acid, said marker nucleic acid selected from the group of marker nucleic acid molecules which specifically hybridize to a nucleic acid molecule consisting of the nucleic acid sequence selected from the group consisting of SEQ ID NO: 1 through SEQ ID NO: 5521 or complement thereof and a complementary nucleic acid molecule obtained from said plant, wherein nucleic acid hybridization between said marker nucleic acid molecule and said complementary nucleic acid molecule obtained from said plant permits the detection of a polymorphism whose presence is predictive of a mutation affecting said level or pattern of said protein in said plant;    (b) permitting hybridization between said marker nucleic acid molecule and said complementary nucleic acid molecule obtained from said plant; and    (c) detecting the presence of said polymorphism, wherein the detection of said polymorphism is predictive of said mutation.    
     
     
         14 . The method of  claim 13 , wherein said level or pattern is detected by in situ hybridization.  
     
     
         15 . The method of  claim 13 , wherein said level or pattern is detected by tissue printing.  
     
     
         16 . The method of  claim 13 , wherein said plant is maize or soybean.  
     
     
         17 . The method of  claim 16 , wherein said plant is soybean.