Isolated nucleic acids encoding autoactivated resistance proteins and uses thereof

1. An isolated nucleic acid, which codes for an autoactivated resistance protein for producing a resistance against pathogens in plants, wherein the nucleic acid consists of a limited part of an NBS-LRR-resistance gene, which extends from the 5′ end of the coding region of the NBS-LRR-resistance gene downstream to the beginning to the NBS-domain of the NBS-LRR-resistance gene, wherein the NBS-LRR resistance gene is not a TIR-NBS-LRR resistance gene, and wherein the autoactivated resistance protein excludes a P-loop.

2. The isolated nucleic acid according to claim 1 , wherein the nucleic acid codes for an amino acid sequence with the sequence motif DAE.

3. The isolated nucleic acid according to claim 1 , wherein the nucleic acid codes for an amino acid sequence with the sequence motif AVLXDAE, said sequence motif identified as SEQ ID NO: 21.

4. The isolated nucleic acid according to claim 1 , with a nucleotide sequence selected from the group consisting of:

a) the nucleotide sequence according to SEQ ID NO: 1, or a nucleotide sequence fully complementary to the nucleotide sequence according to SEQ ID NO: 1;

b) the nucleotide sequence according to SEQ ID NO: 2, or a nucleotide sequence fully complementary to the nucleotide sequence according to SEQ ID NO: 2;

c) the nucleotide sequence according to SEQ ID NO: 3, or a nucleotide sequence fully complementary to the nucleotide sequence according to SEQ ID NO: 3;

d) the nucleotide sequence according to SEQ ID NO: 4, or a nucleotide sequence fully complementary to the nucleotide sequence according to SEQ ID NO: 4;

e) the nucleotide sequence according to SEQ ID NO: 16, or a nucleotide sequence fully complementary to the nucleotide sequence according to SEQ ID NO: 16; and

f) a nucleotide sequence that hybridizes to any of the SEQ ID NO: 1, SEQ ID NO: 2, SEQ ID NO: 3, SEQ ID NO: 4, or SEQ ID NO: 16, or a nucleotide sequence that hybridizes to a sequence fully complementary to any of the SEQ ID NO: 1, SEQ ID NO: 2, SEQ ID NO: 3, SEQ ID NO: 4, or SEQ ID NO: 16, under high stringency conditions comprising hybridizing in 4×SSC at 65° C. and subsequent multiple washing in 0.1×SSC at 65° C. for a total of approximately 1 hour;

wherein the nucleotide sequence encodes an autoactivated resistance protein.

5. The isolated nucleic acid according to claim 1 , wherein the nucleotide sequence is from a NBS-LRR-resistance gene from sugar beet or potato.

6. The isolated nucleic acid according to claim 1 , wherein the nucleotide sequence encodes a protein comprising an amino acid sequence selected from the group consisting of:

a) SEQ ID NO: 13;

b) SEQ ID NO: 14; and

c) SEQ ID NO: 15.

7. A nucleic acid construct comprising

a pathogen inducible promoter operably linked to the

a nucleic acid according to claim 1 .

8. The nucleic acid construct according to claim 7 , wherein the pathogen inducible promoter is a synthetic promoter.

9. The nucleic acid construct according to claim 8 , wherein the synthetic promoter includes one or more cis-element combinations selected from the group consisting of:

a) a nxS-mxD-box;

b) a nxW2-mxD-box; and

c) a nxGst1-mxD-box;

wherein n and m mean a natural number from 1 . . . 10.

10. The nucleic acid construct according to claim 9 , wherein the cis-element combination includes:

a) a nucleotide sequence of SEQ ID NO: 10;

b) a nucleotide sequence of SEQ ID NO: 11;

c) a nucleotide sequence of SEQ ID NO: 12; or

d) a derivative of a nucleic acid sequence according to a) through c) with comparable characteristics.

11. A transgenic plant, transformed with the nucleic acid construct according to claim 1 .

12. A transformed part of the transgenic plant according to claim 11 .

13. Transformed seed of the transgenic plant according to claim 11 .

14. A process for producing a transgenic plant or transgenic thereof with an increased resistance against pathogens, the process comprising transforming a plant or seed thereof with a nucleic acid, wherein the nucleic acid, which codes for an autoactivated resistance protein, consists of comprises a limited part of an NBS-LRR-resistance gene, which extends from the 5′ end of the coding region of the NBS-LRR-resistance gene downstream to the beginning of the NBS-domain of the NBS-LRR-resistance gene, wherein the NBS-LRR-resistance gene is not a TIR-NBS-LRR-resistance gene, and wherein the autoactivated resistance protein excludes a P-loop.

15. The process according to claim 14 , wherein the nucleic acid codes for an amino acid sequence with the sequence motif DAE.

16. The process according to claim 14 , wherein the nucleic acid codes for an amino acid sequence with the sequence motif AVLXDAE.

17. The process according to claim 14 , wherein the nucleic acid comprises a nucleotide sequence selected from the group consisting of:

a) the nucleotide sequence according to SEQ ID NO: 1, or a nucleotide sequence fully complementary to the nucleotide sequence according to SEQ ID NO: 1;

b) the nucleotide sequence according to SEQ ID NO: 2, or a nucleotide sequence fully complementary to the nucleotide sequence according to SEQ ID NO: 2;

c) the nucleotide sequence according to SEQ ID NO: 3, or a nucleotide sequence fully complementary to the nucleotide sequence according to SEQ ID NO: 3;

d) the nucleotide sequence according to SEQ ID NO: 4, or a nucleotide sequence fully complementary to the nucleotide sequence according to SEQ ID NO: 4;

e) the nucleotide sequence according to SEQ ID NO: 16, or a nucleotide sequence fully complementary to the nucleotide sequence according to SEQ ID NO: 16; and

f) a nucleotide sequence that hybridizes to any of the SEQ ID NO: 1, SEQ ID NO: 2, SEQ ID NO: 3, SEQ ID NO: 4, or SEQ ID NO: 16, or a nucleotide sequence that hybridizes to a sequence fully complementary to any of the SEQ ID NO: 1, SEQ ID NO: 2, SEQ ID NO: 3, SEQ ID NO: 4, or SEQ ID NO: 16, under high stringency conditions comprising hybridizing in 4×SSC at 65° C. and subsequent multiple washing in 0.1×SSC at 65° C. for a total of approximately 1 hour;

wherein the nucleotide sequence encodes an autoactivated resistance protein.

18. The process according to claim 14 , wherein the nucleotide sequence is from a NBS-LRR-resistance gene from sugar beet or potato.

19. The process according to claim 14 , wherein the nucleic acid encodes a protein comprising an amino acid sequence selected from the group consisting of:

a) SEQ ID NO: 13;

b) SEQ ID NO: 14; and

c) SEQ ID NO: 15.

20. The process according to claim 14 , wherein the nucleotide sequence is operably linked to

a pathogen inducible promoter.

21. The process according to claim 20 , wherein the pathogen inducible promoter is a synthetic promoter.

22. The process according to claim 21 , wherein the synthetic promoter includes one or cis-element combinations selected from the group consisting of:

a) a nxS-mxD-Box;

b) a nxW2-mxD-Box; and

c) a nxGst1-mxD-Box;

wherein n and m mean a natural number from 1 . . . 10.

23. The process according to claim 22 , wherein the cis-element combination includes:

a) SEQ ID NO: 10;

b) SEQ ID NO: 11; or

c) SEQ ID NO: 12.

24. An isolated nucleic acid comprising a nucleotide sequence selected from the group consisting of:

a) the nucleotide sequence according to SEQ ID NO: 1, or a nucleotide sequence fully complementary to the nucleotide sequence according to SEQ ID NO:1;

b) the nucleotide sequence according to SEQ ID NO: 2, or a nucleotide sequence fully complementary to the nucleotide sequence according to SEQ ID NO: 2;

c) the nucleotide sequence according to SEQ ID NO: 3, or a nucleotide sequence fully complementary to the nucleotide sequence according to SEQ ID NO: 3;

d) the nucleotide sequence according to SEQ ID NO: 4, or a nucleotide sequence fully complementary to the nucleotide sequence according to SEQ ID NO: 4; and

e) a nucleotide sequence that hybridizes to any of the SEQ ID NO: 1, SEQ ID NO: 2, SEQ ID NO: 3, or SEQ ID NO: 4 under high stringency conditions comprising hybridizing in 4×SSC at 65° C. and subsequent multiple washing in 0.1×SSC at 65° C. for a total of approximately 1 hour;

wherein the nucleotide sequence encodes an autoactivated resistance protein.