Foxtail Millet Regulatory Elements for Precise Gene Expression
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Current plant genetic engineering lacks effective gene regulatory elements for precise modulation of gene expression in plants, particularly for agronomic traits like herbicide resistance and pest control, due to limitations in available regulatory sequences and their functional specificity.
Innovation Solution
Development of novel DNA regulatory elements derived from foxtail millet (Setaria italica) that can be operably linked to transcribable polynucleotides, providing high sequence identity and regulatory activity, enabling targeted gene expression in transgenic plants for desirable agronomic traits.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Manufacturing precision
If conventional regulatory elements are used in plant genetic engineering, then basic gene expression control is achieved, but precise modulation of gene expression for specific agronomic traits is insufficient
Solution Approach 1:
The patent segments regulatory elements into distinct functional modules including promoters, enhancers, silencers, and terminators. Each module can be independently selected and combined to create customized regulatory sequences tailored to specific agronomic traits, enabling precise gene expression control while maintaining versatility through modular assembly.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent employs tissue-specific and developmentally-regulated promoter sequences that provide localized gene expression control in specific plant tissues or developmental stages. This allows precise spatial and temporal modulation of gene expression for different agronomic applications without affecting other plant functions.
2Reliability
If regulatory elements with high sequence identity are used, then regulatory activity is maintained, but availability of effective sequences is limited
Solution Approach 1:
The patent identifies and copies conserved regulatory sequence motifs from diverse plant species into engineered regulatory elements. By copying functional sequence elements that have been evolutionarily validated across species, the patent maintains reliable regulatory activity while creating versatile chimeric sequences that combine motifs from different sources.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent constructs composite regulatory sequences by combining functional elements from different plant species and genomic contexts. These chimeric regulatory elements integrate promoter regions, enhancer sequences, and terminator motifs from multiple sources to create hybrid sequences that exhibit both high reliability and enhanced versatility for different agronomic applications.
3Manufacturing precision
If novel regulatory elements from foxtail millet are developed, then precise gene expression control is achieved, but development complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent develops universal promoter and regulatory sequences from foxtail millet that function across multiple plant species and can control expression of diverse transgenes. These universal elements reduce construction complexity by providing standardized, multi-purpose regulatory components that eliminate the need to develop species-specific or gene-specific regulatory elements for each application.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent systematically varies parameters of regulatory sequences including length, sequence composition, and structural features to optimize gene expression control. By testing and characterizing regulatory elements with different parameters, the patent identifies optimal configurations that achieve precise control while establishing design rules that simplify future element construction.
Data Source
Figure 1a
Figure 1b
Figure 1c
AI summary
The invention provides DNA molecules and constructs, and their nucleotide sequences, useful for modulating gene expression in plants, and for specifying intracellular or extracellular localization of a gene product of interest. Transgenic plants, plant cells, plant parts, and seeds, comprising the DNA molecules operably linked to heterologous transcribable polynucleotides are also provided.