Potato fertility restoration
Inventors
Jones, Richard W. • Perez, Frances G.
Assignees
US Department of Agriculture USDA
Publication Number
US-9834785-B2
Publication Date
2017-12-05
Expiration Date
2035-08-26
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Abstract
A family 1 cellulose-binding-domain (CBD) encoding gene from Phytophthora infestans was used to develop transgenic Bintje potato plants. Tests with detached leaflets showed no evidence of increased or decreased resistance to P. infestans, in comparison with the susceptible Bintje controls. Changes in plant morphology were most evident in the CBD1 multicopy transgenics. Plant height increases were evident in the later growth stages, along with earlier flowering and the ability to produce seed balls. While Bintje control plants are male and female sterile, the multicopy transgenics were male sterile and female fertile. Crosses made into Bintje demonstrated the ability to transfer P. infestans targeted R genes, as well as genes responsible for color and tuber shape, into Bintje germplasm. Selection for the absence of the CBD1 transgene should allow for immediate use of the material.
Core Innovation
This invention relates to the transformation of sterile Bintje potato plants with a cellulose-binding-domain 1 (CBD1) gene from Phytophthora infestans. The expression of the CBD1 gene in transgenic Bintje potatoes results in changes in plant morphology, including increased plant height at later growth stages, earlier flowering, and ovule development leading to the production of seed balls, thereby conferring female fertility to previously sterile Bintje plants. The transgenic plants remain male sterile but can be fertilized by pollen from other fertile potato cultivars to produce fertile progeny.
The problem solved by this invention is the sterility of popular potato cultivars like Bintje, which limits breeding and improvement efforts. Conventional breeding is not feasible for sterile varieties, thus preventing the introduction of advantageous traits such as disease resistance, improved tuber shape, and nutritional value. By transforming sterile Bintje potatoes with the CBD1 gene, ovule development and seed production are enabled, allowing fertilization and subsequent generation of progeny with new, advantageous traits. The transgene can be selected out after breeding to produce non-transgenic improved potatoes.
Claims Coverage
The patent includes two main independent claims covering methods of transforming Bintje potatoes and resulting transgenic plants with fertility traits and improved characteristics.
Method of obtaining fertile female CBD1 transgenic Bintje potato plants
A method comprising transforming regenerable tissue of sterile Solanum tuberosum Bintje cultivar plants with a vector containing Phytophthora infestans CBD1 cDNA encoding the polypeptide of SEQ ID NO:2; regenerating transgenic plantlets; selecting those with greater growth rate and altered ovule development exhibiting seed ball production; and cultivation in greenhouse conditions. The resulting transgenic plants are capable of fertilization by pollen from male fertile potato plants, unlike non-transgenic sterile Bintje.
Method of obtaining improved Bintje potato plants with new advantageous traits
A method comprising transforming regenerable tissue of Solanum tuberosum Bintje plants with a vector containing the CBD1 cDNA; regenerating and selecting transgenic plants exhibiting increased growth and ovule development for seed ball production; fertilizing these transgenic plants with pollen from male fertile potato plants carrying advantageous traits; and obtaining progeny exhibiting new advantageous traits. The method enables generation of improved Bintje plants capable of sexual reproduction despite the sterility of parental non-transgenic Bintje.
Transgenic Bintje potato plants and progeny comprising the CBD1 construct with female fertility
Plants produced by the above methods comprising the CBD1 recombinant construct, exhibiting a change in ovum development with seed ball production and female fertility, while maintaining male sterility.
The claims cover the transformation of sterile Bintje potatoes with a recombinant CBD1 construct that restores female fertility via ovule development and seed ball formation, enabling breeding with fertile potato pollen to introduce advantageous traits and produce improved progeny. The invention includes methods of transformation, transgenic plants, and plants with new traits obtained through this approach.
Stated Advantages
Transformation with CBD1 enables female fertility in previously sterile Bintje potato cultivar, facilitating breeding and introduction of new traits.
The CBD1 transgene induces increased growth rates and earlier flowering in Bintje plants.
Use of CBD1 allows transfer of desirable traits such as disease resistance, tuber color, shape, and nutritional value into the Bintje germplasm.
Selection against the CBD1 transgene after breeding permits production of non-transgenic, improved Bintje varieties not subject to transgene regulations.
Documented Applications
Use of CBD1 transgenic Bintje potato plants for breeding by overcoming sterile female infertility to produce fertile seed balls for hybridization with other cultivars.
Introduction of late blight disease resistance via crossing CBD1 transgenic Bintje with pollen from RB gene-containing transgenic Lenape potatoes.
Improvement of tuber traits such as shape, color, and carotenoid levels through crossing with varieties like Peter Wilcox using the CBD1 transgenic Bintje as female parent.
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