Hypersensitive response induced resistance in plants by seed treatment

Abstract

The present invention relates to a method of imparting pathogen resistance to plants. This involves applying a hypersensitive response elicitor polypeptide or protein in a non-infectious form to a plant seed under conditions where the polypeptide or protein contacts cells of the plant seed. The present invention is also directed to a pathogen resistance imparting plant seed. Alternatively, transgenic plant seeds containing a DNA molecule encoding a hypersensitive response elicitor polypeptide or protein can be planted in soil and a plant can be propagated from the planted seed under conditions effective to impart pathogen resistance to the plant.

1 . A method of imparting pathogen resistance to plants, the method comprising:
 providing a transgenic plant seed transformed with a transgene comprising a DNA molecule encoding a hypersensitive response elicitor polypeptide or protein comprising an amino acid sequence of SEQ ID NO:1, SEQ ID NO:3, SEQ ID NO:5, or SEQ ID NO:7 and a promoter that is not pathogen-inducible, the promoter being operatively coupled to the DNA molecule encoding the hypersensitive response elicitor polypeptide or protein;   planting the transgenic plant seed in soil; and   propagating a plant from the planted seed, whereby expression of the hypersensitive response elicitor polypeptide or protein by the plant imparts systemic pathogen resistance to the plant.