Plants and methods for controlling fungal plant pathogens

Abstract

Provided herein are plants that reduce growth of a fungal pathogen, increase resistance of the plant to a fungal pathogen, or a combination thereof. The plant includes a polynucleotide that reduces expression of a coding region present in a fungal pathogen, such as Sclerotinia sclerotiorum or Botrytis cinerea. The polynucleotide can be present on the surface of the plant, expressed by a plant, or a combination thereof. Also provided are methods of making and methods of using the plants.

1 . A plant comprising a polynucleotide that reduces expression of a coding region having a sequence that has at least 80% identity to SS1G_11912 (SEQ ID NO:5), or a homolog of SS1G_11912 (SEQ ID NO:5), wherein the coding region is present in a fungal pathogen, and wherein the polynucleotide is on a surface of the plant. 
     
     
         2 . The plant of  claim 1  wherein growth of the fungal pathogen on the plant is reduced compared to a control plant. 
     
     
         3 . (canceled) 
     
     
         4 . The plant of  claim 1  wherein lesion size after administration of the fungal pathogen to leaves of the plant is reduced by at least 3% compared to a control plant that does not comprise the polynucleotide. 
     
     
         5 . The plant of  claim 1  wherein the plant pathogen is  Sclerotinia sclerotiorum  or  Botrytis cinerea.    
     
     
         6 . The plant of  claim 1  wherein the polynucleotide comprises a double stranded RNA (dsRNA), wherein the dsRNA comprises a nucleotide sequence that is substantially identical to a series of nucleotides of the coding region. 
     
     
         7 . The plant of  claim 1  wherein the polynucleotide comprises a single stranded RNA (ssRNA), wherein the ssRNA comprises a nucleotide sequence that is substantially complementary to a series of nucleotides of the coding region. 
     
     
         8 .- 10 . (canceled) 
     
     
         11 . The plant of  claim 1  wherein the surface is a leaf, a flower, a fruit, a seed, a vegetable, or a combination thereof. 
     
     
         12 .- 13 . (canceled) 
     
     
         14 . The plant of  claim 1  wherein the plant is canola, mustard, flax, sunflower, corn, oat, cotton, camelina, crambe, safflower, rice, sunflower, soybean, peanut, rapeseed, coconut, oil palm, borage, potato, pea, bean, lentil, chickpea, or a forage legume. 
     
     
         15 . A method for making the plant of  claim 1  comprising applying a composition to a surface of the plant, wherein the composition comprises the polynucleotide. 
     
     
         16 . The method of  claim 15  wherein the applying comprises spraying the plant. 
     
     
         17 . The method of  claim 15  wherein the applying comprises application of the composition to a leaf, a flower, a fruit, a seed, a vegetable, or a combination thereof, of the plant. 
     
     
         18 . The method of  claim 15  wherein the composition is applied at a dose of 0.1 nanogram polynucleotide per square millimeter (ng/mm2). 
     
     
         19 . A transgenic plant comprising a polynucleotide that reduces expression of a coding region having a sequence that has at least 80% identity to SS1G_11912 (SEQ ID NO:5), or a homolog of SS1G_11912 (SEQ ID NO:5), wherein the coding region is present in a fungal pathogen. 
     
     
         20 . (canceled) 
     
     
         21 . The plant of  claim 19  wherein growth of the fungal pathogen on the plant is reduced compared to a control plant. 
     
     
         22 . (canceled) 
     
     
         23 . The plant of  claim 19  wherein lesion size after administration of the fungal pathogen to leaves of the plant is reduced by at least 3% compared to a control plant that does not comprise the polynucleotide. 
     
     
         24 . The plant of  claim 19  wherein the plant pathogen is  Sclerotinia sclerotiorum  or  Botrytis cinerea.    
     
     
         25 . The plant of  claim 19  wherein the polynucleotide comprises a double stranded RNA (dsRNA), wherein the dsRNA comprises a nucleotide sequence that is substantially identical to a series of nucleotides of the coding region. 
     
     
         26 . The plant of  claim 19  wherein the polynucleotide comprises a single stranded RNA (ssRNA), wherein the ssRNA comprises a nucleotide sequence that is substantially complementary to a series of nucleotides of the coding region. 
     
     
         27 . The plant of  claim 19  wherein the polynucleotide comprises at least 15 nucleotides. 
     
     
         28 .- 33 . (canceled) 
     
     
         34 . A method for making the plant of  claim 19  comprising:
 transforming a cell of a plant with a polynucleotide to obtain a recombinant plant cell; 
 generating a transgenic plant from the recombinant plant cell, wherein the plant comprises a polynucleotide that reduces expression of a coding region having a sequence that has at least 80% identity to SS1G_11912 (SEQ ID NO:5), or a homolog of SS1G_11912 (SEQ ID NO:5), wherein the coding region is present in a fungal pathogen.