Transgenic Cells Expressing Glucosyltransferase Nucleic Acids

Abstract

The invention relates to transgenic cells which have been transformed with nucleic acids encoding glycosyltransferase polypeptides (GTases) and vectors for use in transformation of said cells.

1 . A transgenic plant comprising a nucleic acid molecule which encodes a polypeptide which has glucosyltransferase activity and is encoded by
 i) a nucleic acid molecule selected from the group consisting of SEQ ID NOs: 1, 4, 7, 10, 13, 16, 22, 25, 28, 31, 34, 35, 36, 37, 38, 39, 40, 41, 42, 43, 44, 45, 46, 47, 48, 49, 50, 51, 52, 53 and 54; or   ii) a nucleic acid molecule which hybridizes to SEQ ID NO: 19 or any of the sequences represented in (i) above and which modifies biosynthetic intermediates in lignin polymerization; or   iii) a nucleic acid molecule which is degenerate as a result of the genetic code to SEQ ID NO: 19 or any of the sequences defined in (i) and (ii) above.   
     
     
         2 . A transgenic plant according to  claim 1 , wherein said intermediates are selected from the group consisting of: cinnamic acid; p-coumaric acid; caffeic acid; ferulic acid; sinapic acid; p-coumaryl aldehyde; coniferyl aldehyde; sinapyl aldehyde; p-coumaryl alcohol; coniferyl alcohol and sinapyl alcohol. 
     
     
         3 . A transgenic plant according to  claim 1 , wherein the nucleic acid molecule anneals under stringent hybridization conditions to a nucleic acid comprising a sequence selected from the group consisting of SEQ ID NOs: 1, 4, 7, 10, 13, 16, 19, 22, 25, 28, 31, 34, 35, 36, 37, 38, 39, 40, 41, 42, 43, 44, 45, 46, 47, 48, 49, 50, 51, 52, 53 and 54. 
     
     
         4 . A transgenic plant according to  claim 1 , wherein the nucleic acid molecule is SEQ ID NO: 25, and the intermediates are monolignol glucosides. 
     
     
         5 . A transgenic plant comprising a nucleic acid molecule, wherein the nucleic acid molecule is selected from the group consisting of:
 i) antisense sequences selected from the group consisting of SEQ ID NOs: 3, 6, 9, 12, 15, 18, 21, 24, 27, 30, parts thereof, and antisense sequence of the sense sequences presented in SEQ ID NOS: 34-54; and   ii) antisense sequences which hybridize to any of the sense sequences according to  claim 1  and which inhibit GTase activity.   
     
     
         6 . A transgenic plant according to  claim 5 , wherein the antisense sequence hybridizes to a sequence selected from the group consisting of SEQ ID NOS: 19 and 25. 
     
     
         7 . A transgenic plant according to  claim 1 , wherein the nucleic acid is cDNA. 
     
     
         8 . A transgenic plant according to  claim 1 , wherein the nucleic acid is genomic DNA. 
     
     
         9 . A transgenic plant according to  claim 1 , wherein the plant is a woody plant selected from the group consisting of poplar; eucalyptus; Douglas fir; pine; walnut; ash; birch; oak; teak and spruce. 
     
     
         10 . A transgenic plant according to  claim 9 , wherein said plant is poplar. 
     
     
         11 . A transgenic plant according to  claim 1 , wherein the plant is a non-woody plant species. 
     
     
         12 . A method for the manufacture of paper or paperboard comprising:
 i) pulping transgenic wood material derived from a transgenic woody plant according to  claim 8 ; and   ii) producing paper or paperboard from the pulped transgenic wood material.   
     
     
         13 . A transgenic eukaryotic cell comprising a nucleic acid molecule which encodes a polypeptide which has glucosyltransferase activity; said nucleic acid molecule being selected from the group consisting of:
 i) nucleic acid molecules comprising a sequence selected from the group consisting of SEQ ID NOs: 1, 4, 7, 10, 13, 16, 19, 22, 25, 28, 31, 34, 35, 36, 37, 38, 39, 40, 41, 42, 43, 44, 45, 46, 47, 48, 49, 50, 51, 52, 53 and 54;   ii) nucleic acid molecules which hybridize to any of the sequences represented in (i) above and which glucosylate an anti-oxidant; and   iii) nucleic acid molecules which are degenerate as a result of the genetic code to any of the sequences defined in (i) and (ii) above.   
     
     
         14 . A transgenic eukaryotic cell according to  claim 13 , wherein the nucleic acid molecule is selected from the group consisting of SEQ ID NOs: 1, 4, 7, 10, 13, 16, 19, 22, 25, 28, 31, 34, 35, 36, 37, 38, 39, 40, 41, 42, 43, 44, 45, 46, 47, 48, 49, 50, 51, 52, 53 and 54. 
     
     
         15 . A transgenic eukaryotic cell according to  claim 14 , wherein the nucleic acid molecule is selected from the group consisting of SEQ ID NOs: 1, 7, 10, 13, 19, 22, 25 and 28. 
     
     
         16 . A transgenic prokaryotic cell comprising a nucleic acid molecule which encodes a polypeptide which has glucosyltransferase activity and is encoded by:
 i) a nucleic acid molecule selected from the group consisting of SEQ ID NOs: 1, 4, 7, 10, 13, 16, 19, 22, 25, 28, 31, 34, 35, 36, 37, 38, 39, 40, 41, 42, 43, 44, 45, 46, 47, 48, 49, 50, 51, 52, 53 and 54; or   ii) a nucleic acid molecule which hybridizes to any of the sequences represented in (i) above and which glucosylates an anti-oxidant; or   iii) a nucleic acid molecule which is degenerate as a result of the genetic code to any of the sequences defined in (ii) and (iii) above.   
     
     
         17 . A transgenic prokaryotic cell according to  claim 16 , wherein the nucleic acid molecule is selected from the group consisting of SEQ ID NOs: 1, 4, 7, 10, 13, 16, 19, 22, 25, 28, 31, 34, 35, 36, 37, 38, 39, 40, 41, 42, 43, 44, 45, 46, 47, 48, 49, 50, 51, 52, 53 and 54. 
     
     
         18 . A transgenic prokaryotic cell according to  claim 17 , wherein the nucleic acid molecule is selected from the group consisting of SEQ ID NOs: 1, 7, 10, 13, 19, 22, 25 and 28.