Pathogen-inducible promoters and their use in enhancing the disease resistance of plants

Abstract

Methods for producing pathogen-inducible promoters for the expression of genes in plants are provided. The pathogen-inducible promoters are inducible by one, two, three, or more plant pathogens. Methods for producing R genes that are inducible in a plant by more than one plant pathogen are further provided. Additionally, provided are R genes and other nucleic acid molecules comprising the pathogen-inducible promoters and that are made by such methods as well as plants, plant parts, plant cells, seeds, and non-human host cells comprising the R genes and other nucleic acid molecules

1 - 31 . (canceled) 
     
     
         32 . A method for making an R gene, said method comprising producing a nucleic acid molecule comprising a promoter and an operably linked coding sequence for an R gene product, wherein the promoter comprises at least two different operably upa boxes and wherein the promoter is capable of inducing expression in a plant of the operably linked coding sequence in response to at least two different TAL effectors. 
     
     
         33 . The method of  claim 32 , wherein said promoter is capable of driving pathogen-inducible expression of said coding sequence. 
     
     
         34 . The method of  claim 32 , wherein said R gene is capable of conferring upon a plant comprising said R gene increased resistance to infection by at least one plant pathogen. 
     
     
         35 . The method of  claim 32 , wherein said upa box occurs in the native promoter of said R gene. 
     
     
         36 . The method of  claim 32 , wherein said upa box does not occur in the native promoter of said R gene. 
     
     
         37 . The method of  claim 32 , wherein said R gene product is Bs3. 
     
     
         38 . The method of claim of  37 , wherein said coding sequence comprising the nucleotide sequence set forth in SEQ ID NO: 1. 
     
     
         39 . A nucleic acid molecule comprising an R gene produced by the method of  claim 32 . 
     
     
         40 . A transformed plant comprising an R gene produced by the method of  claim 32 . 
     
     
         41 . A seed of the transformed plant of  claim 40 , said seed comprising said R gene. 
     
     
         42 . A method for increasing the resistance of a plant to at least one plant pathogen, said method comprising transforming a plant cell with an R gene produced by the method of  claim 32  and regenerating a transformed plant from said transformed cell. 
     
     
         43 - 50 . (canceled) 
     
     
         51 . The method of  claim 32 , wherein said R gene is capable of conferring upon a plant comprising said R gene increased resistance to infection by at least two plant pathogens. 
     
     
         52 . The method of  claim 32 , wherein at least one of the at least two upa boxes is selected from the group consisting of upa AvrBs3  (SEQ ID NO: 17), upa AvrBs3Δrep16  (SEQ ID NO: 18), upa AvrXa27  (SEQ ID NO: 22), upa PthXo1  (SEQ ID NO: 28 or 33), upa PthXo6  (SEQ ID NO: 29), uPa PthXo7  (SEQ ID NO: 30), UPT AvrXa7  (SEQ ID NO: 32), UPT Apl1  (SEQ ID NO: 35), UPT Apl2  (SEQ ID NO: 36), UPT Apl3  (SEQ ID NO: 37), UPT PthB  (SEQ ID NO: 38), UPT PthA*  (SEQ ID NO: 39), UPT PthA*2  (SEQ ID NO: 40), UPT PthAw  (SEQ ID NO: 41), UPT PthA1  (SEQ ID NO: 42), UPT PthA2  (SEQ ID NO: 43), UPT PthA3  (SEQ ID NO: 44), UPT pB3.7  (SEQ ID NO: 45), UPT HssB3.0  (SEQ ID NO: 46), UPT PthA  (SEQ ID NO: 47), UPT PthC  (SEQ ID NO: 48), upa AvrBs3Δrep16  (SEQ ID NO: 18), upa AvrXa27  (SEQ ID NO: 22), upa PthXo1  (SEQ ID NO: 28 or 33), upa PthXo6  (SEQ ID NO: 29), upa PthXo7  (SEQ ID NO: 30), UPT AvrXa7  (SEQ ID NO: 32), UPT Apl1  (SEQ ID NO: 35), UPT Apl2  (SEQ ID NO: 36), UPT Apl3  (SEQ ID NO: 37), UPT PthB  (SEQ ID NO: 38), UPT PthA*  (SEQ ID NO: 39), UPT PthA*2  (SEQ ID NO: 40), UPT PthAw  (SEQ ID NO: 41), UPT PthA1  (SEQ ID NO: 42), UPT PthA2  (SEQ ID NO: 43), UPTp PthA3  (SEQ ID NO: 44), UPT pB3.7  (SEQ ID NO: 45), UPT HssB3.0  (SEQ ID NO: 46), and UPT PthA  (SEQ ID NO: 47).