Use of ovary-tissue transcriptional factors

Abstract

Novel DNA constructs are provided which may be used as molecular probes or inserted into a plant host to provide for modification of transcription of a DNA sequence of interest in ovary tissue, particularly in very early fruit development. The DNA constructs comprise a transcriptional initiation regulatory region associated with gene expression in ovary tissue from immediately prior to anthesis through flower senescence.

What is claimed is:  
     
         1 . A DNA sequence comprising as operably joined components in the direction of transcription, a transport signal encoding sequence from a plant nuclear-encoded gene, and an open reading frame encoding a protein required for synthesis of a pigment.  
     
     
         2 . The DNA sequence according to    claim 1   , wherein said transport signal encoding sequence encodes a plastid transit peptide.  
     
     
         3 . The DNA sequence according to    claim 2   , wherein said sequence further comprises a portion of the mature protein encoding region for said plant nuclear-encoded gene.  
     
     
         4 . The DNA sequence according to    claim 1   , wherein said transport signal encoding sequence encodes a signal peptide which provides for transport across the rough endoplasmic reticulum.  
     
     
         5 . The DNA sequence according to    claim 4   , wherein said sequence further comprises, 3′ to said open reading frame, a vacuolar localization signal.  
     
     
         6 . The DNA sequence of    claim 1    wherein said pigment is melanin or indigo.  
     
     
         7 . The DNA sequence of    claim 6    wherein said open reading frame is from a bacterial gene.  
     
     
         8 . The DNA sequence of    claim 7    wherein said bacterial gene is selected from the group consisting of ORF438, tyrA, pig, and tna.  
     
     
         9 . A DNA construct comprising a promoter for transcription in a plant cell operably joined to said DNA sequence of    claim 1   .  
     
     
         10 . The DNA construct of    claim 9    wherein said plant cell is a cotton fiber cell.  
     
     
         11 . The DNA construct of    claim 10    wherein said promoter is a tomato pZ7 promoter.  
     
     
         12 . The DNA construct of    claim 9    wherein said plant cell is a flower petal cell.  
     
     
         13 . A plant cell comprising a DNA construct of    claim 9   .  
     
     
         14 . A plant comprising a cell of    claim 13   .  
     
     
         15 . A method of modifying color phenotype in a plant tissue, said method comprising: 
 transforming a plant cell with DNA comprising a construct for expression of a protein in a pigment biosynthesis pathway, wherein said construct comprises as operably joined components: 
 a transcriptional initiation region functional in cells of said plant tissue,  
 a transport signal encoding sequence from a plant nuclear-encoded gene,  
 an open reading frame encoding a protein required for synthesis of a pigment, and  
 a transcriptional termination region functional in cells of said plant tissue,  
 wherein said plant tissue comprises a substrate of said protein; and  
 growing said plant cell to produce a plant comprising said tissue, wherein said protein reacts with said substrate to produce said pigment.  
   
     
     
         16 . The method of    claim 15    wherein said transport signal encoding sequence encodes a plastid transit peptide.  
     
     
         17 . The method of    claim 15    wherein said transport signal encoding sequence encodes a signal peptide which provides for transport across the rough endoplasmic reticulum.  
     
     
         18 . The method of    claim 16    wherein said DNA comprises constructs for expression of two proteins in a pigment biosynthesis pathway, wherein each of said constructs comprises components i) through iv), and wherein said two proteins are not encoded by the same gene.  
     
     
         19 . The method of    claim 17    wherein said DNA comprises constructs for expression of two proteins in a pigment biosynthesis pathway, wherein each of said constructs comprises components i) through iv), and wherein said two proteins are not encoded by the same gene.  
     
     
         20 . The method of    claim 18    or    19    wherein said pigment is melanin and said proteins are encoded by tyrA and ORF432.  
     
     
         21 . The method of    claim 18    wherein said pigment is indigo and said proteins are tna and pig.  
     
     
         22 . The method of    claim 15    wherein plant tissue is a cotton burr.  
     
     
         23 . The method of    claim 15    wherein said plant tissue is a flower petal.