Downy Mildew Resistance Providing Genes in Sunflower

Abstract

Described herein are downy mildew resistant genes in sunflower and downy mildew resistance sunflower plants. Specifically, the present invention relates to sunflower plants being resistant to the plant pathogen downy mildew, wherein the plant comprises a downy mildew resistance conferring gene encoding a protein including the amino acid sequence as shown in SEQ ID No. 2 or SEQ ID No. 4 and wherein the expression of the resistance conferring gene is reduced as compared to the expression of said resistance conferring gene in a sunflower plant not being resistant to the plant pathogen downy mildew or the enzymatic activity of said protein is reduced as compared to the enzymatic activity of said protein in a sunflower plant not being resistant to the plant pathogen downy mildew.

1 . A sunflower plant resistant to the plant pathogen downy mildew, comprising a downy mildew resistance conferring gene encoding a protein comprising the amino acid sequence as shown in SEQ ID No. 2 or SEQ ID No. 4 or a downy mildew resistance conferring gene encoding a protein with more than 90% sequence identity, to SEQ ID No. 2 or SEQ ID No. 4 and wherein the expression of said resistance conferring gene is reduced as compared to the expression of said resistance conferring gene in a sunflower plant not being resistant to the plant pathogen downy mildew or the enzymatic activity of said protein is reduced as compared to the enzymatic activity of said protein in a sunflower plant not being resistant to the plant pathogen downy mildew. 
     
     
         2 . The sunflower plant according to  claim 1 , wherein the downy mildew plant pathogen is  Plasmopara halstedii  or  Plasmopara helianthi.    
     
     
         3 . The sunflower plant according to  claim 1 , wherein said reduced enzymatic activity is provided by one or more mutations in the coding sequence of said gene resulting in a truncated or non-functional protein. 
     
     
         4 . The sunflower plant according to  claim 3 , wherein said one or more mutations are amino acid substitutions, frame-shifts or pre-mature stop codons. 
     
     
         5 . The sunflower plant according to  claim 4 , wherein said one or more mutations result in one or more amino acid substitutions in the sequence motif “WRDYLR” (SEQ ID No. 5) of the coding sequence of said resistance providing gene. 
     
     
         6 . The sunflower plant according to  claim 1 , wherein said reduced expression is providing by one or more mutations in the regulatory regions or non-coding sequences of said gene. 
     
     
         7 . Seeds, plant tissue or plants parts of a sunflower plant as defined in  claim 1  comprising a downy mildew resistance conferring gene encoding a protein comprising the amino acid sequence as shown in SEQ ID No. 2 or SEQ ID No. 4 or a downy mildew resistance conferring gene encoding a protein with more than 90% sequence identity, to SEQ ID No. 2 or SEQ ID No. 4 and wherein the expression of said resistance conferring gene is reduced as compared to the expression of said resistance conferring gene in a sunflower plant not being resistant to the plant pathogen downy mildew or the enzymatic activity of said protein is reduced as compared to the enzymatic activity of said protein in a sunflower plant not being resistant to the plant pathogen downy mildew. 
     
     
         8 . Seeds, plant tissue or plants parts obtainable from a sunflower plant as defined in  claim 1  comprising a downy mildew resistance conferring gene encoding a protein comprising the amino acid sequence as shown in SEQ ID No. 2 or SEQ ID No. 4 or a downy mildew resistance conferring gene encoding a protein with more than 90% sequence identity, to SEQ ID No. 2 or SEQ ID No. 4 and wherein the expression of said resistance conferring gene is reduced as compared to the expression of said resistance conferring gene in a sunflower plant not being resistant to the plant pathogen downy mildew or the enzymatic activity of said protein is reduced as compared to the enzymatic activity of said protein in a sunflower plant not being resistant to the plant pathogen downy mildew. 
     
     
         9 . A method for providing a sunflower plant resistant to the plant pathogen downy mildew comprising the step of introducing in a sunflower plant a downy mildew resistance conferring gene encoding a protein comprising the amino acid sequence as shown in SEQ ID No. 2 or SEQ ID No. 4 or a downy mildew resistance conferring gene encoding a protein with more than 90% sequence identity to SEQ ID No. 2 or SEQ ID No. 4 and wherein the expression of said resistance conferring gene is reduced as compared to the expression of said resistance conferring gene in a sunflower plant not being resistant to the plant pathogen downy mildew or the enzymatic activity of said protein is reduced as compared to the enzymatic activity of said protein in a sunflower plant not being resistant to the plant pathogen downy mildew. 
     
     
         10 . (canceled) 
     
     
         11 . A protein comprising an amino acid sequence of SEQ ID No. 2 or SEQ ID No. 4. 
     
     
         12 . A nucleic acid comprising a nucleotide sequence of SEQ ID No. 1 or SEQ ID NO. No. 3. 
     
     
         13 . (canceled)