Novel glyphosate-n-acetyltransferase (gat) genes

Abstract

Novel proteins are provided herein, including proteins capable of catalyzing the acetylation of glyphosate and other structurally related proteins. Also provided are novel polynucleotides capable of encoding these proteins, compositions that include one or more of these novel proteins and/or polynucleotides, recombinant cells and transgenic plants comprising these novel compounds, diversification methods involving the novel compounds, and methods of using the compounds. Some of the novel methods and compounds provided herein can be used to render an organism, such as a plant, resistant to glyphosate.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . An isolated or recombinant polynucleotide comprising:
 (a) a nucleotide sequence encoding an amino acid sequence that can be optimally aligned with a sequence selected from the group consisting of SEQ ID NO:300, SEQ ID NO:445 and SEQ ID NO:457 to generate a similarity score of at least 460, using the BLOSUM62 matrix, a gap existence penalty of 11, and a gap extension penalty of 1,   wherein the amino acid sequence comprises one or more amino acid residues which meet at least one restriction selected from the group consisting of:
 (i) at positions 18 and 38, a Z5 amino acid residue; 
 (ii) at position 62, a Z1 amino acid residue; 
 (iii) at position 124, a Z6 amino acid residue; and 
 (iv) at position 144, a Z2 amino acid residue, 
   wherein:   Z1 is an amino acid residue selected from the group consisting of A, I, L, M, and V;   Z2 is an amino acid residue selected from the group consisting of F, W, and Y;   Z5 is an amino acid residue selected from the group consisting of D and E;   Z6 is an amino acid residue selected from the group consisting of C, G, and P; or   (b) a complementary nucleotide sequence thereof.   
     
     
         2 . The isolated or recombinant polynucleotide of  claim 1 , wherein of the amino acid residues in the amino acid sequence that correspond to the following positions, at least 90% conform to the following restrictions:
 (a) at positions 2, 4, 15, 19, 26, 28, 31, 45, 51, 54, 86, 90, 91, 97, 103, 105, 106, 114, 123, 129, 139, and/or 145 the amino acid residue is B1; and   (b) at positions 3, 5, 8, 10, 11, 14, 17, 24, 27, 32, 37, 47, 48, 49, 52, 57, 58, 61, 63, 68, 69, 79, 80, 82, 83, 89, 92, 100, 101, 104, 119, 120, 125, 126, 128, 131, and/or 143 the amino acid residue is B2; wherein B1 is an amino acid selected from the group consisting of A, I, L, M, F, W, Y, and V; and B2 is an amino acid selected from the group consisting of R, N, D, C, Q, E, G, H, K, P, S, and T.   
     
     
         3 . The isolated or recombinant polynucleotide of  claim 1 , wherein of the amino acid residues in the amino acid sequence that correspond to the following positions, at least 80% conform to the following restrictions:
 (a) at positions 2, 4, 15, 19, 26, 28, 51, 54, 86, 90, 91, 97, 103, 105, 106, 114, 129, 139, and/or 145 the amino acid residue is Z1;   (b) at positions 31 and/or 45 the amino acid residue is Z2;   (c) at position 8 the amino acid residue is Z3;   (d) at position 89 the amino acid residue is Z3 or Z6;   (e at positions 82, 92, 101 and/or 120 the amino acid residue is Z4;   (f) at positions 3, 11, 27 and/or 79 the amino acid residue is Z5;   (g) at position 18 the amino acid residue is Z4 or Z5;   (h) at position 123 the amino acid residue is Z1 or Z2;   (i) at positions 12, 33, 35, 39, 53, 59, 112, 132, 135, 140, and/or 146 the amino acid residue is Z1 or Z3;   (j) at position 30 the amino acid residue is Z1;   (k) at position 6 the amino acid residue is Z6;   (l) at position 81 the amino acid residue is Z2 or Z4;   (m) at position 113 the amino acid residue is Z3;   (n) at position 138 the amino acid residue is Z4;   (o) at position 142 the amino acid residue is Z2;   (p) at positions 57 and/or 126 the amino acid residue is Z3 or Z4;   (q) at position 5, 17, and 61 the amino acid residue is Z4;   (r) at position 24 the amino acid residue is Z3;   (s) at position 104 the amino acid residue is Z5;   (t) at positions 52, and/or 69 the amino acid residue is Z3;   (u) at positions 14 and/or 119 the amino acid residue is Z5;   (v) at positions 10, 32, 63, and/or 83 the amino acid residue is Z5;   (w) at positions 48 and/or 80 the amino acid residue is Z6;   (x) at position 40 the amino acid residue is Z1 or Z2;   (y) at position 96 the amino acid residue is Z3 or Z5;   (z) at position 65 the amino acid residue is Z3, Z4, or Z6;   (aa) at positions 84 and/or 115 the amino acid residue is Z3;   (ab) at position 93 the amino acid residue is Z4;   (ac) at position 130 the amino acid residue is Z2;   (ad) at position 58 the amino acid residue is Z3, Z4 or Z6;   (ae) at position 47 the amino acid residue is Z4 or Z6;   (af) at positions 49 and/or 100 the amino acid residue is Z3 or Z4;   (ag) at position 68 the amino acid residue is Z4 or Z5;   (ah) at position 143 the amino acid residue is Z4;   (ai) at position 131 the amino acid residue is Z5;   (aj) at positions 125 and/or 128 the amino acid residue is Z5;   (ak) at position 67 the amino acid residue is Z3 or Z4;   (al) at position 60 the amino acid residue is Z5; and   (am) at position 37 the amino acid residue is Z4 or Z6;   
       wherein Z1 is an amino acid selected from the group consisting of A, I, L, M, and V; Z2 is an amino acid selected from the group consisting of F, W, and Y; Z3 is an amino acid selected from the group consisting of N, Q, S, and T; Z4 is an amino acid selected from the group consisting of R, H, and K; Z5 is an amino acid selected from the group consisting of D and E; and Z6 is an amino acid selected from the group consisting of C, G, and P.