---

Compositions, Cells, and Plants that Include BK11, A Negative Regulator of BRI1-Mediated BR Signaling (S06016.pdf)

Inventors
Xuelu Wang, Joanne Chory

Applications
Plant Biology, Growth and Yield
The BRI1 gene encodes a receptor serine/threonine kinase. Loss-of-function mutations in BRI1 result in dwarf plants that resemble steroid-deficient plants.

Earlier studies provided evidence that the action of a steroid hormone, brassinolide (BL), may be involved in light-regulated gene expression and cell elongation responses in plants. BL-deficient plants display many defects throughout development. In the dark, these mutants develop as light-grown plants and inappropriately express light-regulated genes. In the light, BL-deficient mutants are dwarfs, have reduced male fertility, and display a significant delay in the senescence program. In the absence of hormone, Arabidopsis plants do not respond properly to fluctuations in their light environment. The inventors have dicovered mutations in a gene, BRI1, that encodes a receptor serine/threonine kinase. Loss-of-function mutations in BRI1 result in dwarf plants that resemble steroid-deficient plants. Using a photoaffinity-labeled ligand, it was shown that BRI1 binds BL directly through a 94-amino acid region that includes the 70-amino acid subdomain in the extracellular domain. Moreover, BRI1 functions as a homodimer and in close proximity with BAK1, a second LRR-kinase. BRI1 is kept in a basal state by BKI1, a negative regulator whose function is to prevent the interaction of BRI1 with BAK1 in the absence of ligand. Other studies, using full-genome microarrays, indicate that BL and another plant hormone, auxin, regulate the expression of scores of overlapping target genes, and that the two signaling pathways act in close proximity, especially in terms of growth responses regulated by light..

References
The Plant Cell, Vol. 19: 1709-1717, May 2007
Genes & Dev. published online Jun 19, 2007

Patent Status:
U.S. Patent Application filed January 10, 2007

License Terms:
Non-exclusive and Exclusive by Field of Use Licenses Negotiable

Reference_Number: S06016
Contact: Mike White, Ph.D., CLP o Director, OTM o 858.453.4100 x1703 o mwhite@salk.edu

---

DAS5, a P450 Protein Involved in the Brassinosteroid Biosynthesis Pathway of Plants (S01015.pdf)

Inventors
Joanne Chory and Zhiyong Wang

Applications
Plant Biology, Agriculture, Horticulture
Genetic modifications of plants to increase the expression of DAS5 results in a variety of useful phenotypes such as increased fresh weight and increased overall plant size.

The invention provides identification of nucleic acid molecules encoding proteins involved in the synthesis of brassinosteroids in plants, methods of increasing endogenous levels of brassinosteroids, insect protection and methods of increasing biomass by modulating levels of brassinosteroid pathway components. These molecules appear to modulate brassinosteroid response pathways at the level of their biosynthetic enzymes, therefore altering brassinosteriod-related responses and signaling pathways. An altered gene, DAS5 is disclosed which is involved in the synthesis of brassinolides. The DAS5 gene encodes a member of the P450 family of proteins. The das5-D mutant was generated using an activation tagging approach. The activation tagging procedure often produces dominant mutations, whereby the gene product of the altered gene is produced at high levels. By "das5-D" is meant the DAS5 gene additionally containing upstream activation sequences which cause a high level of DAS5 transcript and, consequently, high levels of DAS5 protein production in cells containing this construct. Transgenic plants carrying this altered gene are expected to have high levels of DAS5 gene expression and high levels of active DAS5 protein compared to widltype. Both overexpression of the DAS5 gene and expression of the dominant activation-tagged das5-D mutation in this invention resulted in increased brassinosteroid levels throughout the plant and produce the das5-D mutant phenotype. For example, when das5-D was expressed in wild type Arabidopsis plants, the fresh weight increased by 26%. It is expected that the increase in brassinosteroid levels and plant biomass produced in response to an increase in DAS5 gene expression may increase disease resistance, thermotolerance and general stress protection..

References
No publications to date

Patent Status:

---

Expression of Flavin-Containing Monooxygenases in Plants (S00015.pdf)

Inventors
Yunde Zhao, Joanne Chory, Christian Fankhauser, Detlef Weigel and John Cashman

Applications
Plant Biology, Agriculture, Horticulture
A gene to increase plant growth and yield by increasing endogenous auxin levels.

The invention describes the YUCCA gene, a flavin-containing monooxygenase (FMO) gene from Arabidopsis. Enhanced expression of the YUCCA gene or its homologues leads to a phenotype characterized by increased hypocotyl elongation, increased root thickness, increased root hair development, increased lateral root initiation, increased apical dominance, epinastic leaf growth, increased flowering node formation, increased fruit yield, increased endogenous auxin levels, parthenocarpic fruit production, altered gene expression, altered pathogen resistance, altered pest resistance, and altered herbicide resistance. The invention provides methods to alter these plant traits by transforming a plant with an expression vector encoding the YUCCA FMO or its homologues..

References
Science 291(5502):306-9 (January 2001)

Patent Status:

---

Genes Involved in Brassinosteroid Hormone Action in Plants (S01014.pdf)

Inventors
Joanne Chory and Zhiyong Wang

Applications
Plant Biology, Agriculture, Horticulture
Methods of altering plant phenotypes including plant size by altering the genes encoding the Brassinozole Resistant 1 (BZR1) Polypeptide.

The invention includes the nucleic acid molecules encoding the Brassinazole Resistant 1 (BZR1) polypeptide and variants thereof, including the protein product of the dominant mutant bzr1-D, all of which are involved in the regulation of cell expansion in plants through effects on brassinosteroid response pathways. The BZ1 protein and bzr1-D protein appear to act downstream of the brassinosteroid receptor, so their action involves the brassinosteroid response pathway rather than the brassinosteroid biosynthetic pathway. The invention includes methods of modulating brassinosteroid-related responses, methods of identifying compounds involved in signaling pathways and methods of altering plant phenotypes by altering the genes encoding the BZR1 polypeptides. Plants with altered responses to brassinosteroids may be of particular economic interest to agriculture. For example, modification of brassinosteroid response pathways may produce larger plants with higher crop yields. Also, these response pathways may be modified in specific tissues or at specific developmental stages, to increase desirable qualities in agricultural products. It may be possible to produce crops with increased fruit size by linking fruit-specific promoters to genes with modified brassinosteroid responses..

References
Dev Cell 2(4):505-13 (April 2002)

Patent Status:

---

Modulation of Flowering Time by the PFT1 Locus (S02023.pdf)

Inventors
Joanne Chory and Pablo Diego Cerdan

Applications
Plant Biology, Agriculture, Horticulture
A gene useful in protecting crops from shade-avoidance resulting in increased yields

When plants are grown at high densities in agricultural fields, the presence of neighboring plants decreases the red to far-red light ratios triggering shade-avoidance responses. These include stem elongation , restricted leaf development and early flowering and decreased seed set. The result is decreased plant biomass and decreased seed yield. We have isolated and characterized mutants of the gene PFT1. Plants expressing these mutants lack the protein called "phytochrome and flowering time 1"(pft1). This protein is part of a distinct shade-avoidance pathway. Crossbreeding experiments with mutants in the light sensing molecule phytochrome B revealed that the pft1 protein acted "downstream" of phytochrome B to regulate the expression of the gene called "flowering locus T" FT which governs flowering time. The pft1 protein is localized in the plant cell nucleus and is a presumed gene activator. Manipulating pft1 levels can be used to avoid productivity losses associated with shade avoidance as well as a tool to control flowering time..

References
Nature 423, 881-885, June 19, 2003

Patent Status:
U.S. Patent Application Published as WO04/113499

License Terms:
Non-exclusive and Exclusive by Field of Use Licenses Negotiable

Reference_Number: S02023
Contact: Mike White, Ph.D., CLP o Director, OTM o 858.453.4100 x1703 o mwhite@salk.edu

---

Novel Plant Kinases and Methods of Modulation of Their Activity in Plants (PID1) (S99004.pdf)

Inventors
Susan Christensen, Joanne Chory, and Detlef Weigel

Applications
Plant Biology, Agriculture, Horticulture
A plant kinase is identified, the PINOID (PID) gene, which encodes an auxin signaling and /or response protein.

The PINOID (PID) gene encodes a member of a newly identified plant-specific serine-theronine protein kinase family (DFD kinase). PID is predominately expressed in lateral primordia, consistent with PID affecting downstream events in auxin signaling. PID overexpression results in shoot and root phenotypes similar to those of auxin-insensitive mutants. The invention provides a method of producing a genetically modified plant characterized as having early or increased loss of apical dominance, such as increased branching and/or lateral root growth as compared to a wild type plant. The method includes transferring at least one copy of a DFD kinase encoding polypeptide, including members of the PINOID gene family, operably linked to a promoter to a plant cell to obtain a transformed plant cell and producing a plant from the transformed plant cell. In addition, transcription factors or chemical agents may be used to increase expression of DFD kinase in a plant in order to provide plants having increased branching for more homogeneous fruit maturation, dwarf varieties, grass with little need of mowing and the like..

References
Cell 100(4):469-478 (February 2000)

Patent Status:

---

Plant steroid 5 alpha Reductase, DET 2 (S96011.pdf)

Inventors
Joanne Chory and Jianming Li

Applications
Plant Biology, Agriculture, Horticulture
Increased plant yield using a novel gene, DET2 involved in brassinolide synthesis.

The invention describes a novel steroid 5alpha-reductase, DET2, which is involved in the synthesis of the plant steroid hormone, brassinolide. Overexpression of DET2 reductase in transgenic plants causes such plants to become significantly larger and more robust than their wild-type counterparts, thus increasing plant growth, crop growth and/or increased biomass. The invention provides for methods to produce a genetically modified plant characterized as having increased yield as compared to a wild-type plants. The method can include transferring a copy of a DET2-encoding polynucleotide operably associated with a promoter to a plant cell to obtain a transformed plant cell and producing a plant from the transformed plant cell. Also provided is a method of contacting a plant with a native DET2 gene operably linked to its native promoter, with a promoter-inducing amount of an agent which induces DET2 gene expression..

References
Science 272(5260):398-401 (April 1996)
PNAS 94(8):3554-9 (April 1997)
Plant Cell 9(11):1951-62 (November 1997)
Plant Physiol 120(3):833-40 (July 1999)

Patent Status:
U.S. Patent No. 6,143,950 issued November 7, 2000
Australian Patent No. 720,590 issued June 8, 2000

License Terms:
Non-exclusive and Exclusive by Field of Use Licenses Negotiable

Reference_Number: S96011
Contact: Mike White, Ph.D., CLP o Director, OTM o 858.453.4100 x1703 o mwhite@salk.edu

---

Receptor Kinase, BIN1 (S97020.pdf)

Inventors
Joanne Chory and Jianming Li

Applications
Plant Biology, Agriculture, Horticulture
Genetic modification of plants to increase BIN1 expression results in a variety of useful phenotypes such as increased yield, enhanced disease resistance, and increased biomass

The brassinosteroids are a unique class of biologically active natural products that possess plant steroidal hormone activity. The brassionosteroids can be used as plant protectants from both pesticide and environmental adversity and appear to be useful in insect control. Further, brassionsteroids can regulate some stage of the reproductive cycle of plants, thereby providing means to increase or decrease the reproductive process. They also appear to stimulate root growth. Historically brasinosteriods have not been used in actual agricultural applications due to the expense of producing them and difficulties in purification. The invention describes a novel steroid receptor kinase, Bin1, which is involved in the pathway for synthesis of the plant brassiosteroid, brassinolide. Overexpresiion of Bin1 in transgenic plants provides plants characterized as having enhanced disease resistance, increased plant yield or vegetative biomass and increased seed yield..

References
Li et al., Cell, vol. 90, 929-938,1997

Patent Status:
U.S. Patent No. 6,765,085 Issued July 20, 2004

License Terms:
Exclusive and Non-Exclusive Licenses Available

Reference_Number: S97020
Contact: Mike White, Ph.D., CLP o Director, OTM o 858.453.4100 x1703 o mwhite@salk.edu

---

Ethylene Insensitive Plants (S01008.pdf)

Inventors
Joseph Ecker, Ramlah Nehring, Robert McGrath

Applications
Plant Biology, Agriculture, Horticulture, Floriculture
Mutants conferring ethylene insensitivity on plants

The gaseous plant hormone ethylene modulates a diverse array of biological processes in plants including cell elongation, senescence and abscission of leaves and flowers, fruit ripening and responses to a wide variety of biotic and abiotic stresses. The ability to genetically manipulate ethylene production will provide agriculture with new tools to prevent detrimental effects (senescence) or provide the beneficial properties of ethylene responsiveness, such as controlling fruit ripening. The invention describes a mutated form of the EIN6 gene (ein6) that results in an altered response to ethylene including an ethylene insensitive root (EIR) phenotype. A double mutant consisting of the mutant EIN6 gene and a mutated form of the een gene results in ethylene insensitivity throughout the plant in contrast to the EIR phenotype found in the ein6 single mutant..

References
No publications to date

Patent Status:
U.S. Application Published as 2006-0005278

License Terms:
Non-exclusive and Exclusive by Field of Use Licenses Negotiable

Reference_Number: S01008
Contact: Mike White, Ph.D., CLP o Director, OTM o 858.453.4100 x1703 o mwhite@salk.edu

---

Genetic Control of Organ Abscission (NEVERSHED) (S01002.pdf)

Inventors
Sarah Liljegren, Joseph Ecker and Marty Yanofsky

Applications
Plant Biology, Agriculture, Horticulture, Floriculture
Mutation in the NEVERSHED family resulting in decreased plant organ abscission. NEV provides opportunities to increase crop yield and to control shedding.

It has been discovered that genetic modification of particular genes in a plant can result in modulation of organ abscission (the natural separation of flowers, fruit, or leaves from plants). Thus, the genes and methods of this technology can be used to control the timing and development of the abscission (separation) zones on plants. Accordingly, plants can be designed to maintain structures (e.g., fruit, grains, vegetables, flowers etc.) for a longer period of time on the plant or, conversely, to selectively shed such structures earlier or at a pre-selected time. The ability to genetically manipulate abscission zone differentiation in agronomically important plants will provide valuable opportunities to improve crop yield and to simplify harvesting as well as applications in the floral industry. The invention identifies NEVERSHED (NEV), a gene responsible for controlling abscission via mutation of ARF-GAp domains. In Arabidopsis, modulation of NEV results in inhibiting abscission of flowers and, to a lesser extent, of leaves. Therefore, NEV has the potential of controlling abscission of commercially-relevant crops. Foe example, NEV may be used to regulate abscission in cotton and prevent the shedding of cotton balls until ready for harvest. Similarly, NEV may be used to inhibit abscission in corn, rice, or to control shedding of fruits and vegetables like peaches or tomatoes..

References
No publications to date

Patent Status:
U.S. Application Published as 2004-0143872

License Terms:
Exclusive or Nonexclusive licenses available

Reference_Number: S01002
Contact: Mike White, Ph.D., CLP o Director, OTM o 858.453.4100 x1703 o mwhite@salk.edu

---

Methods and Compositions to Modulate Ethylene Sensitivity (S01009.pdf)

Inventors
Joseph Ecker, Anna Stepanova

Applications
Plant Biology, Agriculture, Floriculture
Novel transcription factors affecting ethylene sensitivity in plants

A small family of novel transcription factors, termed "Ethylene-Response DNA-Binding Factors" (EDFs) were found to be involved in transcriptional regulation of ethylene-inducible genes and pathways. Mutant or transformed plants having inactivated or partially inactivated EDF genes (i.e. edf1, edf2, edf3, or edf4) may have a decreased sensitivity to ethylene. The invention includes the genetic modifications of EDF proteins and the genes that encode them to alter plant sensitivity and responsiveness to ethylene. Plants having reduced sensitivity to ethylene could be useful in the floral industry. These modified plants may have longer flower longevity. Further, EDF genes could be used to create vegetative crops that do not bolt or flower easily. For example, lettuce, spinach, and other leafy vegetables or certain herbs may have higher yields due to decreased floral initiation. Other plants may benefit from decreasing ethylene sensitivity at fruit ripening , by linking a modified EDF gene to a fruit-ripening-specific promoter. Yet another use would be to linking the EDF modified gene to a darkness-inducible promoter which could be useful in the long term storage of certain crops between the time of harvest and sale..

References
Publishec PCT Application WO02/089555

Patent Status:
U.S. Application pending

License Terms:
Non-exclusive and Exclusive by Field of Use Licenses Negotiable

Reference_Number: S01009
Contact: Mike White, Ph.D., CLP o Director, OTM o 858.453.4100 x1703 o mwhite@salk.edu

---

Method of Increasing Growth and Yield in Plants (Cyclin) (S96006.pdf)

Inventors
Christopher Lamb, Peter Doerner

Applications
Plant Biology, Agriculture, Horticulture, Forestry
CYC1 Cyclin gene, which promotes increased root mass, shoot and fruit growth

The invention provides a method of producing a genetically modified plant characterized as having increased growth and yield compared to the corresponding wild-type plant. The method comprises contacting plant cells with nucleic acid encoding a cyclin protein, to obtain transformed plant cells; producing plants from the transformed plant cells; and selecting a plant exhibiting increased yield. The cyclin-encoding nucleic acid encodes the cyclin cyc1aAt. Modified expression of the CYC1 gene has been shown to enhance plant growth through accelerating development. By providing a larger root mass, the CYC1 gene can accelerate the overall growth of plants, as in the case of trees grown under water-limiting conditions. In addition, the CYC1 gene can be selectively targeted to other plant organs such as fruit, to increase sink strength and hence fruit yield. The manipulation of this gene has broad applications to a variety of markets, such as the forest product industry as well as cereal, fruit and vegetable production..

References
Nature 380(6574):520-3 (April 1996)

Patent Status:
U.S. Patent No. 6,696,623 issued February 24, 2004

License Terms:
Non-exclusive and Exclusive in Field of Use Licenses Negotiable

Reference_Number: S96006
Contact: Mike White, Ph.D., CLP o Director, OTM o 858.453.4100 x1703 o mwhite@salk.edu

---

Method of Increasing Growth and Yield in Plants (Cyclin Promoter) (S96006A.pdf)

Inventors
Christopher Lamb, Peter Doerner

Applications
Plant Biology, Agriculture, Horticulture, Forestry
Cyclin promoter used to genetically increase root mass, shoot and fruit growth

The invention provides a method of producing a genetically modified plant having increased growth and yield compared to the corresponding wild-type plant. The method includes contacting a plant cell with the cycB1a;At regulatory sequence operably linked to a cyclin gene or other heterologous gene, to obtain a transformed plant cell; producing plants from the transformed plant cell ; selecting plants exhibiting increased yield. The CYC promoter represents a new functional regulatory sequence that has shown to enhance transcriptional activity of the CYC1 cyclin gene, a gene capable of enhancing root, shoot and fruit growth. By boosting the activity of the CYC gene, the CYC promoter was shown to confer greater root growth and mass. In addition, the CYC promoter appears to be a broad spectrum promoter, as it possesses activity with a number of different genes..

References
Nature 380(6574):520-3 (April 1996)

Patent Status:

---

Receptor-like Protein Kinase, RKN, and Methods of Use for Increasing Growth and Yield in Plants (S98019.pdf)

Inventors
Christopher Lamb, Jingping Zhong, Qun Zhu

Applications
Plant Biology, Agriculture, Horticulture
A Gene to Enhance Plant Growth and Yield

The present invention is based on the discovery that increased growth and yield in plants can be achieved by elevating the level of receptor-like protein kinase (RKN), a member of the receptor-like protein kinase (RLK) family. RKN polypeptide and polynucleotides encoding RKN polypeptide are provided, as are RKN expression control sequences. Also included are methods of producing a genetically modified plant characterized as having increased growth and yield as compared to a corresponding wild-type plant. A method for genetically modifying a plant cell such that a plant produced form the cell will have a modulated yield is also provided. A method of producing a genetically modified plant characterized as having increased expression of a gene product of interest in its roots as compared to the corresponding wild type plant is also provided. The invention also provides plants, plant tissue, and seeds produced by the genetically modified plants of the invention..

References
No publications to date

Patent Status:

---

Metabolic engineering of lipid metabolism by improving fatty acid binding and transport (S06006.pdf)

Inventors
Florence Pojer, Joseph P. Noel, Elise Larsen, Marianne Bowman, Stephane Richard

Applications
Plant Biology, Transgenic Animals, Natural Products
Metabolic pathway engineering of lipids in plants; protein crystallography and design.

In addition to their importance in human nutrition, plant fatty acids, or vegetable oils, are major ingredients of nonfood products such as soaps, detergents, lubricants, biofuels, cosmetics, and paints. With the accelerating costs of petroleum, vegetable oils provide an increasingly cost-effective alternate source for raw materials. Yet, though selecting plants for increased oil production by classical methods has been ongoing for at least a century, it has proved difficult and complex to determine trait-genotype associations for this seemingly simple trait. In plants, the majority of fatty acids are biosynthesized in the plastid. Nearly all aspects of fatty acid metabolism in plants have been uncovered, but one of the remaining questions that has thus far resisted elucidation is how free fatty acids are transferred from an inner thylakoid membrane to an outer envelope of a plastid. Salk researchers have overcome these difficulties through isolating a family of chalcone isomerase (CHI)-like genes encoding fatty acid binding proteins that assist in transport of fatty acids to the outer plastid envelope, providing a target for engineering lipid metabolism in plants. For example, lipid production is likely to be increased by overexpressing CHI-like fatty acid binding proteins in cells of the plants. The complete crystal structures of two proteins are described, making it possible to engineer the proteins to modulate fatty acid binding and plastid transport, for example, to increase transport activity. Also provided are CHI-like fatty acid binding proteins and genes, recombinant cells and organisms, methods of metabolic pathway engineering to improve lipid production in cells, and methods and systems of engineering CHI-like fatty acid binding proteins. The technology can be used to produce transgenic organisms, including mammals, transduced with the nucleic acids of the invention. Thus, in addition to making transgenic plants, transgenic livestock or domesticated animals could be made recombinant for a given polypeptide, or a modified form, changing the fat content or feeding behavior of the animal..

References
Nature 435 p. 983 (June 2005)

Patent Status:
Published PCT Application WO 2008/008467

License Terms:
Exclusive or Non-Exclusive Licenses Available

Reference_Number: S06006
Contact: Mike White, Ph.D., CLP o Director, OTM o 858.453.4100 x1703 o mwhite@salk.edu

---

Modulation of Mevalonate-Independent Isoprenoid Biosynthetic Pathway (S00010B.pdf)

Inventors
Joseph Noel, Marianne Bowman and Stephane Richard

Applications
Infection, Drug Discovery, Natural Products, Agriculture, Plant Biology
Templates for the design of novel antibacterial and antiparasitic drugs

The invention provides the three dimensional structure of the enzyme 4-diphosphocytidyl-2-C-methylerythritol (CDP-ME) synthase, a member of the cytidyltransferase family of enzymes. CDP-ME is a critical intermediate in the mevalonate-independent pathway for isoprenoid biosynthesis in a number of prokaryotic organisms, in algae, in the plastids of plants and in the malaria parasite. Since vertebrates synthesize isoprenoid precursors using a mevalonate pathway, CDP-ME synthase and other enzymes of the mevalonate-independent pathway for isoprenoid production represent attractive targets for the structure-based design of selective antibacterial, herbicidal and antimalarial drugs. The invention provides methods for screening for compounds that inhibit enzymes of the mevalonate-independent pathway and pharmaceutical compositions and antibacterial formulations thereof. Further provided are methods of inhibiting the enzymes of the pathway and bacterial terpenoid synthesis and methods for treating a subject suffering from a bacterial infection..

References
Nat Struct Biol 2001 Jul: 8(7):641-8
Published PCT Application WO01/083769

Patent Status:
U.S. Application pending

License Terms:
Exclusive or Nonexclusive licenses available

Reference_Number: S00010B
Contact: Mike White, Ph.D., CLP o Director, OTM o 858.453.4100 x1703 o mwhite@salk.edu

---

Flowering Locus T (FT) and Genetically Modified Plants having Modulated Flower Development (S97038.pdf)

Inventors
Detlef Weigel

Applications
Plant Biology, Agriculture, Horticulture
A novel gene that modulates the flowering time of plants.

This invention is based on the discovery of the gene termed "flowering locus T" or "FT" that regulates flowering in plants. Overexpression of FT results in dramatic early flowering in Arabidopsis while loss of function mutations in FT or antisense directed to FT causes late flowering. FT is useful in methods producing genetically modified plants characterized as having the phenotypic trait of modulated flower development. The invention also relates to a method for identifying compounds that affect FT activity or expression. The ability to induce early flowering is of great value to the agricultural, horticultural and natural resources industries, as it allows both the acceleration of breeding time by shortening seed production time and the identification of new varieties. This accelerates the rate at which key transgenic products can be moved from initial transformation into new breeding lines for evaluation and commercialization. This can significantly reduce the time required for commercial production. In addition, controlled inducible expression of LEAFY or FT would allow precise timing of crop production to better meet the impact of seasonal or geographical variations..

References
Genetics 150:403-410 (September 1998)
Science 286 (5446):1962-5 (December 1999)

Patent Status:
U.S. Patent No. 6,713,663 issued March 30, 2004
Australian Patent No. 757842 issued June 26, 2003
New Zealand pending

License Terms:
Exclusive, Partially Exclusive, Nonexclusive license negotiable

Reference_Number: S97038
Contact: Mike White, Ph.D., CLP o Director, OTM o 858.453.4100 x1703 o mwhite@salk.edu

---

Genetically Modified Plants Having Modulated Flower Development (S94047.pdf)

Inventors
Detlef Weigel, Ph.D.

Applications
Plant Biology, Agriculture, Horticulture
Inducing early flowering or sterility in plants

By controlling meristem development, the LEAFY gene has been shown to regulate flowering in diverse species. Modulation of LEAFY gene activity results in either early flower formation or suppression of flowering. The ability to induce early flowering is of great value to the agricultural and natural resources industry, as it allows both the acceleration of breeding time by shortening seed production time and the identification of new varieties. The invention relates to genetically modified plants having the phenotypic trait of early flower development. The invention also relates to methods for producing such plants and vectors for carrying out such methods. Induction of flowering is often the limiting factor for growing crop plants. The invention provides a means for inducing flowering in plants regardless of the locale or environment. This is desirable as it allows rapid cross-breeding for species selection. The present invention also provides a means for genetically modified plants with no flowering capabilities. Sterile trees or plants are desirable as they can not propagate in uncontrolled fashion..

References
Nature 377: 495-500 (1995)
Plant Journal 15(6)799-804 (September 1998)
Transgenic Res 9(3):223-7 (June 2000)
Science 289(5480):779-82 (August 2000)

Patent Status:
U.S. Patent Number 5,844,119 issued December 1, 1998
Australian Patent Number 711,551 issued January 27, 2000
New Zealand Patent Number 301454
Brazil Allowed; Japan pending

License Terms:
License available for use in selected crops

Reference_Number: S94047
Contact: Mike White, Ph.D., CLP o Director, OTM o 858.453.4100 x1703 o mwhite@salk.edu