METHODS FOR PLANT FIBER CHARACTERIZATION AND IDENTIFICATION
The present invention relates to materials and methods for the expression of a gene of interest preferably in seeds of plants, even more specifically in oilseed plants. In particular, the invention provides an expression cassette for regulating seed-preferential expression in plants.
1 . An expression cassette for regulating seed-preferential expression in plants comprising a promoter operably linked to a nucleic acid which is heterologous in relation to said promoter and wherein said promoter is selected from the group consisting of (a) SEQ ID NO 1 or a variant thereof, (b) a functional fragment of at least 50 consecutive bases of SEQ ID NO 1 having promoter activity, (c) a nucleotide sequence with at least 40% identity with SEQ ID NO 1 or the complement thereof and (d) a nucleotide sequence hybridizing under conditions equivalent to hybridization in 7% sodium dodecyl sulfate, 0.5 M NaPO 4 , 1 mM EDTA at 50° C. with washing in 2×SSC, 0.1% SDS at 50° C. to a nucleotide sequence depicted in SEQ ID NO: 1 or a fragment of at least 50 consecutive bases of SEQ ID NO: 1 or the complement thereof.
2 . The expression cassette of claim 1 wherein expression of the nucleic acid results in expression of a protein, or expression of an antisense RNA, sense or double-stranded RNA.
3 . A recombinant vector comprising an expression cassette according to claim 1 .
4 . A transformed plant containing the expression cassette of claim 1 .
5 . The transformed plant of claim 4 wherein said transformed plant is from a plant used for oil production.
6 . The transformed plant according to claim 5 wherein the plant is selected from the group consisting of canola, maize, mustard, castor bean, sesame, cotton, linseed, soybean, Arabidopsis, Phaseolus , peanut, alfalfa, wheat, rice, oat, sorghum, rapeseed, rye, sugarcane, safflower, oil palms, flax, sunflower, Brassica campestris, Brassica napus, Brassica juncea and Crambe abyssinica.
7 . A plant cell comprising an expression cassette of claim 1 .
8 . A microspore comprising an expression cassette of claim 1 .
9 . A seed generated from a transformed plant according to claim 4 wherein the seed comprises an expression cassette for regulating seed-preferential expression in plants comprising a promoter operably linked to a nucleic acid which is heterologous in relation to said promoter and wherein said promoter is selected from the group consisting of (a) SEQ ID NO 1 or a variant thereof, (b) a functional fragment of at least 50 consecutive bases of SEQ ID NO 1 having promoter activity, (c) a nucleotide sequence with at least 40% identity with SEQ ID NO 1 or the complement thereof and (d) a nucleotide sequence hybridizing under conditions equivalent to hybridization in 7% sodium dodecyl sulfate, 0.5 M NaPO 4 , 1 mM EDTA at 50° C. with washing in 2×SSC, 0.1% SDS at 50° C. to a nucleotide sequence depicted in SEQ ID NO: 1 or a fragment of at least 50 consecutive bases of SEQ ID NO: 1 or the complement thereof.
10 . A method of producing a transformed plant according to claim 4 comprising (a) providing an expression cassette of for regulating seed-preferential expression in plants comprising a promoter operably linked to a nucleic acid which is heterologous in relation to said promoter and wherein said promoter is selected from the group consisting of (a) SEQ ID NO 1 or a variant thereof, (b) a functional fragment of at least 50 consecutive bases of SEQ ID NO 1 having promoter activity, (c) a nucleotide sequence with at least 40% identity with SEQ ID NO 1 or the complement thereof and (d) a nucleotide sequence hybridizing under conditions equivalent to hybridization in 7% sodium dodecyl sulfate, 0.5 M NaPO 4 , 1 mM EDTA at 50° C. with washing in 2×SSC, 0.1% SDS at 50° C. to a nucleotide sequence depicted in SEQ ID NO: 1 or a fragment of at least 50 consecutive bases of SEQ ID NO: 1 or the complement thereof and (b) transforming a plant with said expression cassette.
11 . A method of producing a seed comprising a nucleic acid of claim 1 comprising (a) growing a transformed plant containing the expression vector of claim 1 , wherein said transformed plant produces said seed and said nucleic acid is transcribed in said seed, and (b) isolating said seed from said transformed plant.