Polynucleotide Encoding a Maize Herbicide Resistance Gene and Methods for Use

Abstract

This invention relates to polynucleotide sequences encoding a gene that can confer resistance to at least one herbicide. It further relates to plants and seeds of plants carrying chimeric genes comprising said polynucleotide sequences, which enhance or confer resistance to at least one herbicide, and methods of making said plants and seeds. The invention further presents sequences that can be used as molecular markers that in turn can be used to identify the region of interest in corn lines resulting from new crosses and to quickly and efficiently select the best lines for breeding strategies by avoiding sensitive lines.

1 . A plant comprising a recombinant DNA construct, said recombinant DNA construct comprising an isolated polynucleotide operably linked to at least one regulatory sequence, wherein said isolated polynucleotide comprises: 
 (a) a nucleotide sequence encoding a polypeptide capable of conferring resistance to at least one herbicide, wherein said herbicide is a member of a class of herbicides selected from the group consisting of: 
 (i) the ALS-inhibiting class;  
 (ii) the pigment synthesis-inhibiting class;  
 (iii) the PPO-inhibiting class;  
 (iv) the PS II-inhibiting class; and  
 (v) the synthetic auxin class  
 wherein the polypeptide has an amino acid sequence of at least 85% identity, when compared to SEQ ID NO:1 based on the Needleman-Wunsch alignment algorithm, or  
   (b) a complement of the nucleotide sequence, wherein the complement and the nucleotide sequence consist of the same number of nucleotides and are 100% complementary;    wherein said plant further comprises a gene encoding an insecticidal polypeptide.