The present invention relates to a plant which has integrated into its genome an exogenous polynucleotide encoding a polypeptide which confers resistance to at least one strain of Puccinia graminis.
1 . A genetically modified plant comprising a transgene encoding a polypeptide which confers resistance to at least one strain of Puccinia graminis , wherein the polypeptide comprises amino acids having a sequence as provided in SEQ ID NO:1, or an amino acid sequence which is at least 95% identical to SEQ ID NO:1.
2 . The plant of claim 1 , wherein the Puccinia graminis is Puccinia graminis f. sp. tritici.
3 . The plant of claim 1 , wherein the polypeptide comprises amino acids having a sequence which is at least 99% identical to SEQ ID NO:1.
4 . The plant of claim 1 which is a cereal plant.
5 . The plant of claim 1 which comprises one or more exogenous polynucleotides encoding another plant pathogen resistance polypeptide.
6 . The plant of claim 1 which is homozygous for the modification.
7 . A process for identifying a polynucleotide encoding a polypeptide which confers resistance to at least one strain of Puccinia graminis comprising:
i) obtaining a polynucleotide operably linked to a promoter, the polynucleotide encoding a polypeptide comprising amino acids having a sequence as provided in SEQ ID NO:1, or an amino acid sequence which is at least 9% identical to SEQ ID NO:1,
ii) introducing the polynucleotide into a plant by transgenesis,
iii) determining whether the level of resistance to Puccinia graminis is modified relative to an isogenic plant lacking the polynucleotide, and
iv) optionally, selecting a polynucleotide which when expressed confers resistance to Puccinia graminis.
8 . A method of producing the plant of claim 1 , the method comprising the steps of:
i) genetically modifying a plant cell to comprise a transgene encoding a polypeptide which confers resistance to at least one strain of Puccinia graminis, wherein the polypeptide comprises amino acids having a sequence as provided in SEQ ID NO:1, or an amino acid sequence which is at least 95% identical to SEQ ID NO:1,
ii) regenerating a plant from the cell, and
iii) optionally harvesting seed from the plant, and/or
iv) optionally producing one or more progeny plants from the plant, thereby producing the plant.
9 . A method of producing the plant of claim 1 , the method comprising the steps of:
i) crossing two parental plants, wherein at least one plant comprises a transgene encoding a polypeptide which confers resistance to at least one strain of Puccinia graminis, wherein the polypeptide comprises amino acids having a sequence as provided in SEQ ID NO:1, an amino acid sequence which is at least 95% identical to SEQ ID NO:1,
ii) screening one or more progeny plants from the cross for the presence or absence of the transgene, and
iii) selecting a progeny plant which comprises the transgene, thereby producing the plant.
10 . A method for identifying a plant comprising a polynucleotide encoding a polypeptide which confers resistance to at least one strain of Puccinia graminis, the method comprising the steps of
i) obtaining a nucleic acid sample from a plant, and
ii) screening the sample for the presence or absence of the polynucleotide encoding a polypeptide which confers resistance to at least one strain of Puccinia graminis, wherein the polypeptide comprises amino acids having a sequence as provided in SEQ ID NO:1, or an amino acid sequence which is at least 95% identical to SEQ ID NO:1, using a method selected from nucleic acid amplification, nucleic acid sequencing, nucleic acid hybridization with suitably labelled probes, single-strand conformational analysis (SSCA), denaturing gradient gel electrophoresis (DGGE), heteroduplex analysis (HET), chemical cleavage analysis (CCM), catalytic nucleic acid cleavage or a combination thereof.
11 . A seed of the plant of claim 1 , wherein the seed comprises the transgene.
12 . A method of producing a plant part, the method comprising,
a) growing the plant of claim 1 , and
b) harvesting the plant part.
13 . A method of producing flour, wholemeal, starch or other product obtained from seed, the method comprising;
a) obtaining the seed of claim 11 , and
b) extracting the flour, wholemeal, starch or other product.
14 . A product produced from the plant of claim 1 or seed therefrom, wherein the product is a food product or beverage product, and wherein the seed comprises the transgene.
15 . A method of preparing the food product of claim 14 , the method comprising mixing seed comprising the transgene, or flour, wholemeal or starch from the seed, with another food ingredient.
16 . Flour or wholemeal comprising a transgene encoding polypeptide which confers resistance to at least one strain of Puccinia graminis , wherein the polypeptide comprises amino acids having a sequence as provided in SEQ ID NO:1, or an amino acid sequence which is at least 95% identical to SEQ ID NO:1.
17 . The plant of claim 1 , wherein the plant is a Triticum sp .
18 . The plant of claim 1 , wherein the transgene is at a different locus to a native gene encoding the polypeptide.
19 . The plant of claim 1 , wherein the plant comprises a transgene encoding one or more of Lr34, Lr1, Lr3, Lr2a, Lr3ka, Lr11, Lr13, Lr16, Lr17, Lr18, Lr21, LrB, Lr67, Lr46, Sr50, Sr33, Sr13, and Sr35.