Genetic engineering of novel plant phenotypes

Claim 1

A method for producing a plant exhibiting at least one modified phenotypic trait by suppressing expression of an endogenous gene, said method comprising the steps of: transforming one or more plants cells with a polynucleotide to produce transgenote cells, the polynucleotide comprising a promoter operably linked to a DNA segment of at least 500 nucleotides such that transcripts of the segment are produced in the sense orientation in the transgenote which segment transcripts have at least 85% sequence identity to transcripts of said endogenous gene of the plant cells; growing plants from one or more of said transgenote cells, wherein production of mRNA encoded by the endogenous gene is reduced in one or more of the plants, and selecting a plant exhibiting said modified phenotypic trait.

Claim 2

A method for producing a plant exhibiting at least one modified phenotypic trait by suppressing expression of an endogenous gene, said method comprising the steps of: transforming one or more plants cells with a polynucleotide to produce transgenote cells, the polynucleotide comprising a promoter operably linked to a DNA segment of at least 500 nucleotides such that transcripts of the segment are produced in the sense orientation in the transgenote which segment transcripts have at least 85% sequence identity to transcripts of said endogenous gene of the plant cells; growing plants from one or more of said transgenote cells, wherein production of mRNA encoded by the endogenous gene is reduced in one or more of the plants, and selecting a plant exhibiting said modified phenotypic trait.

Claim 11

A method for reducing production of a protein product of an endogenous gene in a plant, said protein affecting a phenotypic trait in the plant, said method comprising the steps of: growing plants from cells transformed with a DNA segment comprising at least 500 nucleotides under operational control of a promoter, wherein transcripts of the DNA segment are produced in the sense orientation which have at least 85% sequence identity to transcripts of an endogenous gene encoding the protein and wherein production of the protein is reduced; and identifying a plant that exhibits a phenotypic change by screening the plants for modification of the phenotypic trait.

Claim 12

A method for reducing production of a protein product of an endogenous gene in a plant, said protein affecting a phenotypic trait in the plant, said method comprising the steps of: growing plants from cells transformed with a DNA segment comprising at least 500 nucleotides under operational control of a promoter, wherein transcripts of the DNA segment are produced in the sense orientation which have at least 85% sequence identity to transcripts of an endogenous gene encoding the protein and wherein production of the protein is reduced; and identifying a plant that exhibits a phenotypic change by screening the plants for modification of the phenotypic trait.

Claim 21

A method for modifying the coloration of petunia flowers comprising altering flower pigment production by transforming a petunia cell with a full length chalcone synthase gene contained in a disabled Ti plasmid of Agrobacterium tumefaciens, wherein said chalcone synthase gene is operably linked to a promoter.

Claim 22

A method for modifying the coloration of petunia flowers comprising altering flower pigment production by transforming a petunia cell with a full length chalcone synthase gene contained in a disabled Ti plasmid of Agrobacterium tumefaciens, wherein said chalcone synthase gene is operably linked to a promoter.

Claim 26

A method of modifying a plant phenotype by reducing the level of mRNA encoded by an endogenous gene in cells of the plant, said method comprising: growing plants from plant cells transformed with a polynucleotide comprising a segment of a transcribable DNA strand, wherein the segment is located downstream from an operably linked promoter, whereby the segment is transcribed in the cell in the sense orientation and wherein the strand had a sequence complementary to the mRNA encoded by the endogenous full-length gene; and screening the plants for the modified phenotype.

Claim 27

A method of modifying a plant phenotype by reducing the level of mRNA encoded by an endogenous gene in cells of the plant, said method comprising: growing plants from plant cells transformed with a polynucleotide comprising a segment of a transcribable DNA strand, wherein the segment is located downstream from an operably linked promoter, whereby the segment is transcribed in the cell in the sense orientation and wherein the strand had a sequence complementary to the mRNA encoded by the endogenous full-length gene; and screening the plants for the modified phenotype.