Fiber selective promoters
View Patent ↗The present invention relates to materials and methods for the expression of a gene of interest selectively in cotton fibers. In particular, the invention provides an expression cassette for regulating fiber-selective expression in plants.
1. A chimeric gene comprising the following operably linked DNA regions
a) a nucleotide sequence of a fiber cell preferential or selective promoter comprising the nucleotide sequence of SEQ ID NO: 1 or SEQ ID NO: 2, which drives expression throughout fiber development and is more active during the later stages of secondary cell wall deposition;
b) a heterologous DNA region; and
c) optionally a transcription termination and polyadenylation signal.
2. The chimeric gene according to claim 1 , wherein said heterologous DNA region encodes a protein of interest.
3. The chimeric gene according to claim 1 wherein said heterologous DNA region encodes a ribozyme, microRNA, double stranded hairpin RNA or antisense RNA.
4. A recombinant vector comprising a chimeric gene according to any one of claims 1 to 3 .
5. A plant cell comprising a chimeric gene according to any one of claims 1 to 3 .
6. A plant comprising in its cells a chimeric gene according to any one of claims 1 to 3 .
7. A plant according to claim 6 , wherein the plant has altered fiber, wherein said fiber is altered in composition, length or strength.
8. The plant according to claim 6 , which is a cotton plant.
9. A seed of a plant, said seed comprising in its cells a chimeric gene according to any one of claims 1 to 3 .
10. A method for expressing a biologically active RNA preferentially in a fiber cell of a fiber-producing plant throughout fiber development and more actively during the later stages of secondary cell wall deposition said method comprising
a. providing the cells of said plant with a chimeric gene according to any one of claims 1 to 3 ; and
b. growing said plant, preferably such that said plant produces fibers.
11. The method according to claim 10 , wherein said plant is a cotton plant.
12. A method of producing a transformed plant cell or plant, comprising introducing the chimeric gene according to any one of claims 1 to 3 into a parental plant cell to produce a transformed plant cell, and optionally regenerating a plant from said transformed plant cell.
13. A method of producing an altered fiber, comprising (i) growing the plant of claim 6 , and (ii) harvesting the fiber from the plant.
14. An altered fiber harvested from a plant according to claim 6 comprising said chimeric gene.