Stress-inducible plant promoters

Abstract

The present invention discloses and claims stress-inducible plant promoters, DNA constructs with such promoters, transgenic plants containing such promoters and DNA constructs, isolated DNAs encoding such promoters, and methods of making and using such promoters, DNA constructs, transgenic plants, and isolated DNAs.

1 . A transgenic plant having in its genome an exogenous DNA construct comprising a promoter operably linked to a heterologous DNA, wherein said promoter exhibits stress-inducible promoter activity and comprises: 
 a) about 100 to about 950 contiguous nucleotides of DNA, wherein said contiguous nucleotides of DNA have from 85% to 100% sequence identity to at least one segment of SEQ ID NO:1, or    b) about 100 to about 1500 contiguous nucleotides of DNA, wherein said contiguous nucleotides of DNA have from 85% to 100% sequence identity to at least one segment of SEQ ID NO:2, or    c) about 100 to about 1000 contiguous nucleotides of DNA, wherein said contiguous nucleotides of DNA have from 85% to 100% sequence identity to at least one segment of SEQ ID NO:3, or    d) about 100 to about 700 contiguous nucleotides of DNA, wherein said contiguous nucleotides of DNA have from 85% to 100% sequence identity to at least one segment of SEQ ID NO:4, or    e) about 100 to about 300 contiguous nucleotides of DNA, wherein said contiguous nucleotides of DNA have from 85% to 100% sequence identity to at least one segment of SEQ ID NO:5, or    f) about 100 to about 1100 contiguous nucleotides of DNA, wherein said contiguous nucleotides of DNA have from 85% to 100% sequence identity to at least one segment of SEQ ID NO:6.    
     
     
         2 . The transgenic plant according to  claim 1 , wherein said promoter comprises DNA with a nucleic acid sequence of SEQ ID NO:1, SEQ ID NO:2, SEQ ID NO:3, SEQ ID NO:4, SEQ ID NO:5, or SEQ ID NO:6.  
     
     
         3 . The transgenic plant according to  claim 1 , wherein said promoter comprises CAAT and TATA box elements.  
     
     
         4 . The transgenic plant according to  claim 1 , wherein said promoter is operably linked to a heterologous DNA which encodes a molecule imparting at least one characteristic selected from the group consisting of insect resistance or tolerance; viral, bacterial, fungal, or nematode disease resistance or tolerance; herbicide resistance or tolerance; enhanced grain composition or quality; enhanced nutrient transporter functions; enhanced nutrient utilization; enhanced environmental stress tolerance or resistance; reduced mycotoxin contamination; male sterility; female sterility; a selectable marker phenotype; a screenable marker phenotype; a negative selectable marker phenotype; a stress-responsive transcription factor; altered plant agronomic characteristics; enhanced kernel development; enhanced embryo development; enhanced general production or protection of next-generation tissues; enhanced grain agronomic characteristics; enhanced grain processing characteristics; and a combination thereof.  
     
     
         5 . The transgenic plant according to  claim 1 , wherein said heterologous DNA transcribes to RNA imparting gene suppression of at least one gene in said transgenic plant.  
     
     
         6 . The transgenic plant according to  claim 5 , wherein said heterologous DNA transcribes to double-stranded RNA for suppressing at least one gene in said transgenic plant during stress conditions.  
     
     
         7 . The transgenic plant according to  claim 1 , selected from the group consisting of crop plants, wood- or pulp-producing trees, vegetable plants, fruit plants, and ornamental plants.  
     
     
         8 . The transgenic plant according to  claim 1 , selected from the group consisting of wheat, oat, barley, maize, rye, triticale, rice, ornamental and forage grasses, sorghum, millet, sugarcane, coconut, oil palm, date palm, olive, tree nuts, canola, cotton, safflower, soybean, sugarbeet, buckwheat, sunflower, tea, and coffee; wood- or pulp-producing trees; legumes, lettuce, asparagus, artichoke, celery, carrot, radish, amaranth, the brassicas, edible curcubits, edible alliums, edible members of the  Solanaceae , and edible members of the  Chenopodiaceae ; apple, pear, citrus fruit, apricot, peach, plum, nectarine, banana, pineapple, grape, kiwifruit, papaya, avocado, and berries; and ornamental plants.  
     
     
         9 . The transgenic plant according to  claim 1 , wherein said promoter is a water-deficit-inducible promoter which exhibits promoter activity in plant tissue having a water potential of less than about −0.7 megaPascals.  
     
     
         10 . The transgenic plant according to  claim 1 , wherein said promoter is a water-deficit-inducible promoter which exhibits promoter activity in plant tissue having a water potential of less than about −0.8 megaPascals.  
     
     
         11 . Seed from a transgenic plant of  claim 1 , wherein said seed contains said exogenous DNA construct.  
     
     
         12 . A DNA construct comprising a promoter operably linked to a heterologous DNA wherein said promoter comprises: 
 a) about 100 to about 950 contiguous nucleotides of DNA, wherein said contiguous nucleotides of DNA have from 85% to 100% sequence identity to at least one segment of SEQ ID NO:1, or    b) about 100 to about 1500 contiguous nucleotides of DNA, wherein said contiguous nucleotides of DNA have from 85% to 100% sequence identity to at least one segment of SEQ ID NO:2, or    c) about 100 to about 1000 contiguous nucleotides of DNA, wherein said contiguous nucleotides of DNA have from 85% to 100% sequence identity to at least one segment of SEQ ID NO:3, or    d) about 100 to about 700 contiguous nucleotides of DNA, wherein said contiguous nucleotides of DNA have from 85% to 100% sequence identity to at least one segment of SEQ ID NO:4, or    e) about 100 to about 300 contiguous nucleotides of DNA, wherein said contiguous nucleotides of DNA have from 85% to 100% sequence identity to at least one segment of SEQ ID NO:5, or    f) about 100 to about 1100 contiguous nucleotides of DNA, wherein said contiguous nucleotides of DNA have from 85% to 100% sequence identity to at least one segment of SEQ ID NO:6.    
     
     
         13 . The DNA construct according to  claim 12 , wherein said promoter comprises DNA with a nucleic acid sequence of SEQ ID NO:1, SEQ ID NO:2, SEQ ID NO:3, SEQ ID NO:4, SEQ ID NO:5, or SEQ ID NO:6.  
     
     
         14 . The DNA construct according to  claim 12 , wherein said promoter is a water-deficit-inducible promoter which exhibits promoter activity in plant tissue having a water potential of less than about −0.7 megaPascals.  
     
     
         15 . The DNA construct according to  claim 12 , wherein said promoter is a water-deficit-inducible promoter which exhibits promoter activity in plant tissue having a water potential of less than about −0.8 megaPascals.  
     
     
         16 . The DNA construct according to  claim 12 , wherein said promoter comprises CAAT and TATA box elements.  
     
     
         17 . The DNA construct according to  claim 12 , wherein said promoter is operably linked to a heterologous DNA which encodes a molecule imparting at least one characteristic selected from the group consisting of insect resistance or tolerance; viral, bacterial, fungal, or nematode disease resistance or tolerance; herbicide resistance or tolerance; enhanced grain composition or quality; enhanced nutrient transporter functions; enhanced nutrient utilization; enhanced environmental stress tolerance or resistance; reduced mycotoxin contamination; male sterility; female sterility; a selectable marker phenotype; a screenable marker phenotype; a negative selectable marker phenotype; a stress-responsive transcription factor; altered plant agronomic characteristics; enhanced kernel development; enhanced embryo development; enhanced general production or protection of next-generation tissues; enhanced grain agronomic characteristics; enhanced grain processing characteristics; and a combination thereof.  
     
     
         18 . A method for providing a transgenic plant which produces an RNA of interest in plant tissue under conditions of stress, comprising introducing into the genome of said transgenic plant a DNA construct according to  claim 12 .  
     
     
         19 . An isolated DNA comprising: 
 a) about 100 to about 950 contiguous nucleotides of DNA, wherein said contiguous nucleotides of DNA have from 85% to 100% sequence identity to at least one segment of SEQ ID NO:1, or    b) about 100 to about 1500 contiguous nucleotides of DNA, wherein said contiguous nucleotides of DNA have from 85% to 100% sequence identity to at least one segment of SEQ ID NO:2, or    c) about 100 to about 1000 contiguous nucleotides of DNA, wherein said contiguous nucleotides of DNA have from 85% to 100% sequence identity to at least one segment of SEQ ID NO:3, or    d) about 100 to about 700 contiguous nucleotides of DNA, wherein said contiguous nucleotides of DNA have from 85% to 100% sequence identity to at least one segment of SEQ ID NO:4, or    e) about 100 to about 300 contiguous nucleotides of DNA, wherein said contiguous nucleotides of DNA have from 85% to 100% sequence identity to at least one segment of SEQ ID NO:5, or    f) about 100 to about 1100 contiguous nucleotides of DNA, wherein said contiguous nucleotides of DNA have from 85% to 100% sequence identity to at least one segment of SEQ ID NO:6.    
     
     
         20 . The isolated DNA according to  claim 19 , comprising DNA with a nucleic acid sequence of SEQ ID NO:1, SEQ ID NO:2, SEQ ID NO:3, SEQ ID NO:4, SEQ ID NO:5, or SEQ ID NO:6.