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 in the plant, said method comprising the steps of: transforming plant cells with a polynucleotide to produce transgenote cells, the polynucleotide comprising a promoter operably linked to a DNA segment such that transcripts of the segment are produced in the sense orientation in the transgenote cells which segment transcripts have at least 65% sequence identity to transcripts of said endogenous gene and are effective to suppress expression of said endogenous gene in said plant cell; 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 in the plant, said method comprising the steps of: transforming plant cells with a polynucleotide to produce transgenote cells, the polynucleotide comprising a promoter operably linked to a DNA segment such that transcripts of the segment are produced in the sense orientation in the transgenote cells which segment transcripts have at least 65% sequence identity to transcripts of said endogenous gene and are effective to suppress expression of said endogenous gene in said plant cell; 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 a plant cell transformed with a DNA segment under operational control of a promoter, wherein transcripts of the DNA segment are in the sense orientation produced which are substantially homologous 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 a plant cell transformed with a DNA segment under operational control of a promoter, wherein transcripts of the DNA segment are in the sense orientation produced which are substantially homologous 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 20

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

Claim 21

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

Claim 29

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

Claim 30

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