New phytophthora resistance gene

Abstract

The invention relates to a new gene that produces a protein which is capable of inferring oomycete resistance, more preferably resistance to Phytophthora infestans when expressed in a plant, wherein said nucleotide sequence encodes a protein that is encoded by the protein produced by the nucleotide sequence of FIG. 10 or the protein depicted in FIG. 11 or a nucleotide sequence that codes for a protein that has an identity of at least 95% with said protein produced by the nucleotide sequence of FIG. 10 or the protein depicted in FIG. 11 . The invention also relates to a method for providing at least partial resistance or increasing resistance in a plant against an oomycete infection comprising providing a plant or a part thereof with a nucleotide sequence as indicated above or a functional fragment thereof, preferably wherein said plant is a plant from the Solanaceae family, more preferably Solanum tuberosum.

1 . Isolated nucleotide sequence encoding a resistance protein that is able to confer resistance to  Phytophthora infestans  when expressed in a plant, wherein said nucleotide sequence encodes a protein that is encoded by the nucleotide sequence of  FIG. 10  or the protein depicted in  FIG. 11  or a nucleotide sequence that codes for a protein that has an identity of at least 95% with said protein produced by the nucleotide sequence of  FIG. 10  or the protein depicted in  FIG. 11 . 
     
     
         2 . Nucleotide sequence according to  claim 1 , wherein said sequence is the part of one of the sequences of  FIG. 10 , which is coding for a protein. 
     
     
         3 . A method for providing at least partial resistance or increasing resistance in a plant against an oomycete infection comprising providing a plant or a part thereof with a nucleotide sequence according to  claim 1  or a functional fragment thereof. 
     
     
         4 . Method according to  claim 3 , wherein said oomycete comprises  Phytophthora , preferably  Phytophthora infestans.    
     
     
         5 . Method according to  claim 3 , wherein said plant or part thereof is also provided with a nucleotide sequence encoding a further resistance gene selected from Table 1. 
     
     
         6 . A method for obtaining a potato plant that is resistant against an oomycete infection by crossing a potato plant that has the R8 gene from  Solanum demissum  with a potato plant of interest and testing the offspring of said cross for the presence of a nucleotide sequence according to  claim 1 . 
     
     
         7 . A method according to  claim 6 , wherein said potato plant that has the R8 gene is a potato plant from the variety ‘Sarpo Mira’. 
     
     
         8 . A method for breeding an oomycete resistant tetraploid plant, preferably a  Phytophthora  resistant tetraploid plant, comprising
 a. increasing or decreasing the ploidy level of the gametes of a diploid plant that already contains a nucleic acid sequence as defined in  claim 1 ;   b. using said gametes in a cross with gametes of a tetraploid plant; and   c. selecting the offspring of said cross for the presence of said nucleic acid sequence.   
     
     
         9 . A method according to  claim 6 , wherein said oomycete resistant plant further comprises one or more further resistance genes selected from Table 1. 
     
     
         10 . A method for selecting a plant or plant material or progeny thereof for its susceptibility or resistance to an oomycete infection, said method comprising the steps of testing at least part of said plant or plant material or progeny thereof for the presence or absence of a nucleic acid as defined in  claim 1 . 
     
     
         11 . A method according to  claim 6 , wherein said testing involves detecting the presence of at least part of the nucleotide sequence as shown in  FIG. 12  or  FIG. 14  and is performed with a primer or a probe that specifically binds to said nucleotide sequence. 
     
     
         12 . A transgenic or tetraploid cell comprising a nucleic acid according to  claim 1 . 
     
     
         13 . A vector comprising a nucleic acid sequence according to  claim 1 . 
     
     
         14 . A vector according to  claim 13 , further comprising the promoter and/or terminator with which the gene is naturally associated. 
     
     
         15 . A transgenic or tetraploid host cell comprising a nucleic acid according to  claim 1  or a vector according to  claim 13 . 
     
     
         16 . A transgenic or tetraploid plant cell comprising a nucleic acid according to  claim 1  or a vector according to  claim 13 . 
     
     
         17 . A transgenic or tetraploid plant comprising a cell according to  claim 16 . 
     
     
         18 . A plant produced by a method according to  claim 6 . 
     
     
         19 . A part derived from a plant according to  claim 17 . 
     
     
         20 . A protein encoded by an isolated or recombinant nucleic acid according to  claim 1  or a functional fragment thereof. 
     
     
         21 . An antibody that binds to the protein of  claim 20 .