Fungal resistant plants expressing hcp5

Abstract

The present invention relates to a method of increasing resistance against fungal pathogens of the order Pucciniales, preferably the family Phacopsoraceae, in plants and/or plant cells. This is achieved by increasing the expression of an HCP5 protein or fragment thereof in a plant, plant part and/or plant cell in comparison to wild type plants, wild type plant parts and/or wild type plant cells. Furthermore, the invention relates to transgenic plants, plant parts, and/or plant cells having an increased resistance against fungal pathogens, in particular, pathogens of the order Pucciniales, preferably the family Phacopsoraceae, and to recombinant expression vectors comprising a sequence that is identical or homologous to a sequence encoding an HCP5 protein.

1 . A transgenic soybean plant comprising an exogenous nucleic acid encoding an HCP5 protein comprising an amino acid sequence having at least 73% identity with SEQ ID NO:3 operably linked to a promoter, wherein the HCP5 protein confers increased resistance against  Phakopsora  thereto in comparison to a wild type plant. 
     
     
         2 . A harvestable part of the transgenic plant of  claim 1 , wherein the part comprises the exogenous nucleic acid encoding the HCP5 protein. 
     
     
         3 . A product derived from the plant of  claim 1 , wherein the product comprises the exogenous nucleic acid encoding the HCP5 protein. 
     
     
         4 . A method for the production of a product, said method comprising:
 a) growing the plant of  claim 1 ; and   b) producing said product from the plant and/or a part thereof;   wherein the product obtained by said method comprises the nucleic acid encoding the HCP5 protein.   
     
     
         5 . The method of  claim 4 , wherein the product is produced from the seeds of the plant. 
     
     
         6 . The method of  claim 4 , wherein the product is meal or oil. 
     
     
         7 . A method for breeding a fungal resistant plant, said method comprising:
 (a) crossing the plant of  claim 1  with a second plant;   (b) obtaining seed from the cross of step (a);   (c) planting said seeds and growing the seeds to plants; and   (d) selecting from the plants produced in step (c) plants expressing the HCP5 protein.   
     
     
         8 . The product of  claim 3 , wherein the product is soybean meal or soy oil. 
     
     
         9 . The transgenic soybean plant of  claim 1 , wherein the HCP5 protein comprises an amino acid sequence having at least 80% identity with SEQ ID NO: 3. 
     
     
         10 . The transgenic soybean plant of  claim 1 , wherein the HCP5 protein comprises an amino acid sequence having at least 85% identity with SEQ ID NO: 3. 
     
     
         11 . The transgenic soybean plant of  claim 1 , wherein the HCP5 protein comprises an amino acid sequence having at least 90% identity with SEQ ID NO: 3. 
     
     
         12 . The transgenic soybean plant of  claim 1 , wherein the HCP5 protein comprises an amino acid sequence having at least 95% identity with SEQ ID NO: 3.