Compositions for enhancing biological functions in organisms

Abstract

The present invention provides a composition which includes elicitor compounds selected from the group consisting of: (N,N′diacetylhexobiose) n ; (N,N′diacetylhexobiose) n having one or more associated amino acid residues, wherein the amino acid residues are valine or ornthine; (N,N′diacetylhexosamine) n having an associated (dihexobiose) n ; (N,N′diacetylhexosamine) n having an associated (dihexobiose) n and one or more associated amino acid residues, wherein the amino acid residues are valine or ornithine; or combinations thereof. The (N,N′diacetylhexobiose) n and (N,N′diacetylhexosamine) n comprise N-acetylglucosamine or other amino hexosamines, while the (N,N′diacetylhexobiose) n and (dihexobiose) n are any D-hexoaldose or N-acetylamino derivative of D-hexoaldoses. In this aspect of the present invention, n=1 to 5 and the compounds are all 3 kDa or less. Also provided are a method for increasing the rate of fungal growth, a method for increasing extracellular fungal enzyme production, a method for increasing biological control of plant and animal diseases, a method for increasing a method for increasing resistance of plants to diseases, and a method of alleviating pain and increasing resistance to, or recovery from, diseases in animals, using the composition of the present invention.

1 . A composition, which, when applied to an organism under conditions appropriate for activity, enhances: fungal growth, extracellular enzyme production under repressive or nonrepressive conditions by fungi, biological control of plant pathogens, and resistance to disease in plants and animals, wherein said composition comprises: 
 an elicitor compound selected from the group consisting of: (N,N′diacetylhexobiose) n ; (N,N′diacetylhexobiose) n  having one or more associated amino acid residues, wherein the amino acid residues comprise valine or ornthine; (N,N′diacetylhexosamine) n  having an attached (dihexobiose) n ; (N,N′diacetylhexosamine) n  having an associated (dihexobiose) n  and one or more associated amino acid residues, wherein the amino acid residues comprise valine or ornithine; or combinations thereof;    wherein (N,N′diacetylhexobiose) n  and (N,N′diacetylhexosamine)n comprise N-acetylglucosamine or other amino hexosamines; wherein (N,N′diacetylhexobiose) n  and (dihexobiose) n  comprise any D-hexoaldose or a N-acetylamino derivative of D-hexoaldoses, wherein n=1 to 5, and wherein each of the elicitor compounds has a molecular weight of 3 kDa or less.    
   
   
       2 . A composition, which, when applied to an organism under conditions appropriate for activity, enhances: fungal growth, extracellular enzyme production under repressive or nonrepressive conditions by fungi, biological control of plant pathogens, and resistance to disease in plants and animals, wherein said composition comprises: 
 an elicitor compound selected from the group consisting of: (N,N′diacetylchitobiose) n ; (N,N′diacetylchitobiose) n  having one or more associated amino acid residues, wherein the amino acid residues comprise valine or ornthine; (N,N′diacetylchitobiose) n  having an associated (dimeric hexose) n ; (N,N′diacetylchitobiose) n  having an associated (dimeric hexose) n  and one or more associated amino acid residues, wherein the amino acid residues comprise valine or ornthine; or combinations thereof;    wherein (N,N′diacetylchitobiose) n  comprises N-acetylglucosamine or other amino hexosamines; wherein (dimeric hexose) n  comprises any D-hexoaldose or N-acetylamino derivative of D-hexoaldose, wherein n=1 to 5, and wherein each of the elicitor compounds has a molecular weight of 3 kDa or less.    
   
   
       3 . A composition, which, when applied to an organism under conditions appropriate for activity, enhances: fungal growth, extracellular enzyme production under repressive or nonrepressive conditions by fungi, biological control of plant pathogens, and resistance to disease in plants and animals, wherein said composition comprises: 
 an elicitor compound selected from the group consisting of: N,N′diacetylchitobiose; N,N′diacetylchitobiose having one or more associated amino acid residues, wherein the amino acid residues comprise valine or ornithine; N,N′diacetylchitobiose having an associated dimeric hexose; N,N′diacetylchitobiose having an associated dimeric hexose and one or more associated amino acid residues, wherein the amino acid residues comprise valine or ornithine; N,N′diacetylchitobiose having two associated dimeric hexoses; N,N′diacetylchitobiose having two associated dimeric hexoses and one or more associated amino acid residues, wherein the amino acid residues comprise valine or ornthine; two or more N,N′diacetylchitobiose residues having two or more associated dimeric hexoses; two or more N,N′diacetylchitobiose residues having two or more associated dimeric hexoses and one or more associated amino acid residues, wherein the amino acid residues comprise valine or ornithine; or combinations thereof;    wherein N,N′diacetylchitobiose comprises N-acetylglucosamine or other amino hexosamines; wherein dimeric hexose comprises any D-hexoaldose or N-acetylamino derivative of D-hexoaldose, wherein n=1 to 5, and wherein each of the elicitor compounds has a molecular weight of 3 kDa or less.    
   
   
       4 . A method of increasing the rate of growth of fungi comprising: 
 applying the composition according to claims  1 ,  2 , or  3  to fungi under conditions effective to increase growth of the fungi.    
   
   
       5 . A method of increasing the production of extracellular enzymes from fungi comprising: 
 applying the composition according to claims  1 ,  2 , or  3  to fungi under conditions effective to increase production of extracellular enzymes from the fungi.    
   
   
       6 . A method of increasing the biological control of plant diseases comprising: 
 applying a fungal biocontrol organism and the composition according to claims  1 ,  2 , or  3  to plants under conditions effective to increase the biological control of plant diseases.    
   
   
       7 . A method of increasing resistance of plants to diseases comprising: 
 applying the composition according to claims  1 ,  2 , or  3  to plants under conditions effective to increase the resistance of the plant to diseases.    
   
   
       8 . A method of alleviating pain and increasing resistance to, or recovery from, diseases in an animal, including a human, comprising: 
 administering the composition according to claims  1 ,  2 , or  3  under conditions effective to alleviate pain, increase resistance to, or recovery from, diseases in an animal.