The complete nucleotide sequence (155 844 bp) of tobacco (Nicotiana tabacum var. Bright Yellow 4) chloroplast DNA has been determined. It contains two copies of an identical 25 339 bp inverted repeat, which are separated by a 86 684 bp and a 18 482 bp single-copy region. The genes for 4 different rRNAs, 30 different tRNAs, 39 different proteins and 11 other predicted protein coding genes have been located. Among them, 15 genes contain introns. Blot hybridization revealed that all rRNA and tRNA genes and 27 protein genes so far analysed are transcribed in the chloroplast and that primary transcripts of the split genes hitherto examined are spliced. Five sequences coding for proteins homologous to components of the respiratory-chain NADH dehydrogenase from human mitochondria have been found. The 30 tRNAs predicted from their genes are sufficient to read all codons if the ;two out of three' and ;U:N wobble' mechanisms operate in the chloroplast. Two sequences which autonomously replicate in yeast have also been mapped. The sequence and expression analyses indicate both prokaryotic and eukaryotic features of the chloroplast genes.

The complete nucleotide sequence of the tobacco chloroplast genome: its gene organization and expression.

This invention is directed to the production of plants, plant tissues and seeds which are resistant to inhibition by an herbicide which normally inhibits the growth and development of those plants, plant tissues and plant seeds. In particular this invention is directed to altered acetohydroxyacid synthase enzymes which are resistant to inhibition by herbicides which normally inhibit the activity of the synthase before such alteration. This invention further relates to genes encoding such enzymes, and to processes for utilizing these novel genes and enzymes. Further products of the invention include plants, plant tissues and seeds which exhibit resistance to such herbicides resulting from expression of genes encoding herbicide resistant acetohydroxyacid synthase enzyme.

Herbicide resistance in plants

A nucleic acid fragment encoding a herbicide-resistant plant acetolactate synthase protein is disclosed. This nucleic acid fragment contains at least one nucleotide mutation resulting in one amino acid change in one of seven substantially conserved regions of acetolactate synthase amino acid homology. This mutation results in the production of an acetolactate synthase protein which is resistant to sulfonylurea herbicide compounds compared to the wild-type protein. Transformation of herbicide sensitive plants or plant cells with the fragment results in resistance to the herbicide.

Nucleic acid fragment encoding herbicide resistant plant acetolactate synthase

The introduction and expression of foreign genes in plants1–3 will advance our understanding of plant molecular biology and should allow the introduction of new agronomically valuable traits into crop plants The source of potentially useful genes is large (any living organism may be a donor), but identification of these genes remains difficult We present here an example of how a gene for herbicide tolerance, an agronomically important trait, can be found in a bacterium and introduced into plants The herbicide glyphosate inhibits a metabolic step in the biosynthesis of aromatic compounds and the aroA gene encodes the inhibited enzyme in bacteria Therefore, we introduced a mutant allele of this gene that encodes an enzyme less sensitive to glyphosate into tobacco plants Expression of this gene enhanced tolerance to glyphosate in transformed plants

Expression in plants of a mutant aroA gene from Salmonella typhimurium confers tolerance to glyphosate

An efficient procedure for obtaining transgenicBrassica napus plants usingAgrobacterium binary vectors is described. The target tissue for the transformation is the cut end of cotyledonary petioles. These tissues, when cultured with their lamina intact, show a regeneration frequency of more than 80%. The cells of this cut surface, which undergo organogenesis, are very susceptible to topical infection byAgrobacterium. The cocultivation method used does not require feeder layers or use of exogenously applied promoters of virulence. After 72h of infection withAgrobacterium the explants were transferred to selective regeneration medium. Using kanamycin (15μg cm(-3)) for selection, transgenic plantlets emerged within 3 weeks. These plantlets which appeared on over half the explants were excised and rooted for a further 7-10 days. When the plants were large enough, leaves were taken for assay of NPT II activity using dot blots. Most of the plants surviving the selection showed substantial NPT II activity. The frequency of transformation and yield of transgenic plants was higher than in previously reported methods with this species. Southern blotting revealed that integration of the T-DNA frequently occurred in multiple copies and at multiple loci in the genome. The transgenicB. napus plants all grew normally and developed fertile flowers. The transgenic plants were self-pollinated and their progeny studied by two methods. The first was a single-embryo NPT II assay performed on developing seeds of these selfed-plants. The second was a leaf bleaching assay performed by selection of germinating seedlings of the selfed progeny. Both assays yielded segregation ratios consistent with the number of integration events indicated by Southern blots. The method should have broad application in studies of gene expression in theBrassicaceae and will be a cost-effective alternative to those seeking to improveBrassica crops by introduction of foreign genes.

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Lous van Vloten-Doting

Papers

Molecular form and function of the plant genome