Male Sterility via Engineered Double-Strand-Break Agents

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Solution Overview

Problem

Current methods for producing hybrid maize seeds are labor-intensive and costly due to the need for manual or mechanical detasseling to prevent self-pollination, which can result in contamination with female inbred seed and pose a germplasm security risk, and there is a need for a reliable system to induce genetic male sterility in plants.

Innovation Solution

The method involves contacting plant cells with an engineered double-strand-break-inducing agent to induce targeted modifications in male fertility genes, such as MS26, MS45, or other specific genes, to create male sterility, allowing for the production of hybrid seeds without the need for detasseling, using agents like endonucleases, zinc finger nucleases, or site-specific recombinases to introduce alterations like null mutations or transgene insertions.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Reliability

If manual or mechanical detasseling is used to prevent self-pollination, then hybrid seed production is enabled, but production costs increase and labor intensity increases

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveprevention of self-pollinationVSAvoidproduction cost
Core Design Contradiction:
ReliabilityVSProductivity

Solution Approach 1:

The patent replaces the mechanical detasseling system with a biological genetic system. Instead of physically removing tassels using manual labor or mechanical devices, the invention uses genetic modification to create male-sterile plants that naturally cannot produce viable pollen. This substitution eliminates the need for detasseling operations entirely, reducing both labor costs and production expenses while maintaining reliable prevention of self-pollination.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #28Mechanics substitution (Replace mechanical system)

Solution Approach 2:

The patent implements a self-service mechanism where the plant itself prevents self-pollination through genetic modification. The male-sterile plants inherently lack the ability to produce functional pollen, so they automatically prevent self-pollination without requiring external intervention such as detasseling. This self-service approach eliminates the need for human labor or mechanical systems to remove tassels.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #25Self-service

2Reliability

If manual or mechanical detasseling is used to prevent self-pollination, then hybrid seed production is enabled, but contamination with female inbred seed occurs

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveprevention of self-pollinationVSAvoidseed purity
Core Design Contradiction:
ReliabilityVSManufacturing precision

Solution Approach 1:

The patent replaces the mechanical detasseling system with a biological genetic system. Instead of physically removing tassels using manual labor or mechanical devices, the invention uses genetic modification to create male-sterile plants that naturally cannot produce viable pollen. This substitution eliminates the need for detasseling operations entirely, reducing both labor costs and production expenses while maintaining reliable prevention of self-pollination.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #28Mechanics substitution (Replace mechanical system)

Solution Approach 2:

The patent implements a self-service mechanism where the plant itself prevents self-pollination through genetic modification. The male-sterile plants inherently lack the ability to produce functional pollen, so they automatically prevent self-pollination without requiring external intervention such as detasseling. This self-service approach eliminates the need for human labor or mechanical systems to remove tassels.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #25Self-service

3Reliability

If detasseling is performed to prevent self-pollination, then hybrid seed production is enabled, but germplasm security risk increases

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveprevention of self-pollinationVSAvoidgermplasm security risk
Core Design Contradiction:
ReliabilityVSObject-affected harmful factors

Solution Approach 1:

The patent replaces the mechanical detasseling system with a biological genetic system. Instead of physically removing tassels using manual labor or mechanical devices, the invention uses genetic modification to create male-sterile plants that naturally cannot produce viable pollen. This substitution eliminates the need for detasseling operations entirely, reducing both labor costs and production expenses while maintaining reliable prevention of self-pollination.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #28Mechanics substitution (Replace mechanical system)

Solution Approach 2:

The patent implements a self-service mechanism where the plant itself prevents self-pollination through genetic modification. The male-sterile plants inherently lack the ability to produce functional pollen, so they automatically prevent self-pollination without requiring external intervention such as detasseling. This self-service approach eliminates the need for human labor or mechanical systems to remove tassels.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #25Self-service

4Productivity

If detasseling machines are used instead of hand detasseling, then production speed increases, but plant damage increases

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvedetasseling speedVSAvoidplant damage
Core Design Contradiction:
ProductivityVSObject-affected harmful factors

Solution Approach 1:

The patent replaces the mechanical detasseling system with a biological genetic system. Instead of physically removing tassels using manual labor or mechanical devices, the invention uses genetic modification to create male-sterile plants that naturally cannot produce viable pollen. This substitution eliminates the need for detasseling operations entirely, reducing both labor costs and production expenses while maintaining reliable prevention of self-pollination.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #28Mechanics substitution (Replace mechanical system)

Solution Approach 2:

The patent implements a self-service mechanism where the plant itself prevents self-pollination through genetic modification. The male-sterile plants inherently lack the ability to produce functional pollen, so they automatically prevent self-pollination without requiring external intervention such as detasseling. This self-service approach eliminates the need for human labor or mechanical systems to remove tassels.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #25Self-service

Data Source

PatentUS9499837B2Methods and compositions for producing male sterile plants
Publication Date: 2016.11.22 CORTEVA AGRISCIENCE LLC
  • US9499837B2 patent drawing
  • US9499837B2 patent drawing
  • US9499837B2 patent drawing

AI summary

Methods of making a targeted modification in a male fertility gene in the genome of a plant are disclosed. The methods involve contacting a plant cell with an engineered double-strand-break-inducing agent capable of inducing a double-strand break in a target sequence in the male fertility gene and identifying a cell comprising an alteration in the target sequence. Also disclosed are plants, plant cells, plant parts, and seeds comprising a male fertility gene with an alteration in a male fertility gene. Nucleic acid molecules comprising male fertility genes with at least one targeted modification therein, optimized nucleic acid molecules encoding endonucleases that are engineered double-strand-break-inducing agents and expression cassettes, host cells, and plants comprising one or more of the nucleic acid molecules are further disclosed.