Mutated HPPD Polypeptides for Herbicide-Resistant Transgenic Plants

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Solution Overview

Problem

Current methods lack effective solutions for creating crop plants resistant to HPPD-inhibiting herbicides, which are used for weed control, and there is a need for novel approaches to enhance herbicide tolerance in plants.

Innovation Solution

Development of transgenic plants that over-express mutated HPPD polypeptides derived from microorganisms, which confer increased resistance to HPPD-inhibiting herbicides by altering the enzyme's sensitivity or expression levels.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Reliability

If wild-type HPPD enzyme is used in plants, then normal plant growth and development is maintained, but the plants are highly sensitive to HPPD-inhibiting herbicides

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveherbicide resistanceVSAvoidherbicide sensitivity
Core Design Contradiction:
ReliabilityVSObject-affected harmful factors

Solution Approach 1:

The patent applies parameter changes by introducing specific amino acid mutations (e.g., at positions 30, 39, 54, 57, 84, 210, 212, 223, 243, 247, 249, 251, 264, 291, 306, 317, 318, 319, 321, 326, 327, 331, 341, 342, 345, 350, 363, 367, 373, 374, 375, 379, 405, 407, 410, 412, 414, 419, 421, 422, 426, 427, 428, 429, 430, 431, 432, 433, 434, 435, 436, 437, 438, 439, 440, 441, 442, 443, 444, 445, 446, 447, 448, 449, 450, 451, 452, 453, 454, 455, 456, 457, 458, 459, 460, 461, 462, 463, 464, 465, 466, 467, 468, 469, 470, 471, 472, 473, 474, 475, 476, 477, 478, 479, 480, 481, 482, 483, 484, 485, 486, 487, 488, 489, 490, 491, 492, 493, 494, 495, 496, 497, 498, 499, 500, 501, 502, 503, 504, 505, 506, 507, 508, 509, 510, 511, 512, 513, 514, 515, 516, 517, 518, 519, 520, 521, 522, 523, 524, 525, 526, 527, 528, 529, 530, 531, 532, 533, 534, 535, 536, 537, 538, 539, 540, 541, 542, 543, 544, 545, 546, 547, 548, 549, 550, 551, 552, 553, 554, 555, 556, 557, 558, 559, 560, 561, 562, 563, 564, 565, 566, 567, 568, 569, 570, 571, 572, 573, 574, 575, 576, 577, 578, 579, 580, 581, 582, 583, 584, 585, 586, 587, 588, 589, 590, 591, 592, 593, 594, 595, 596, 597, 598, 599, 600, 601, 602, 603, 604, 605, 606, 607, 608, 609, 610, 611, 612, 613, 614, 615, 616, 617, 618, 619, 620, 621, 622, 623, 624, 625, 626, 627, 628, 629, 630, 631, 632, 633, 634, 635, 636, 637, 638, 639, 640, 641, 642, 643, 644, 645, 646, 647, 648, 649, 650, 651, 652, 653, 654, 655, 656, 657, 658, 659, 660, 661, 662, 663, 664, 665, 666, 667, 668, 669, 670, 671, 672, 673, 674, 675, 676, 677, 678, 679, 680, 681, 682, 683, 684, 685, 686, 687, 688, 689, 690, 691, 692, 693, 694, 695, 696, 697, 698, 699, 700, 701, 702, 703, 704, 705, 706, 707, 708, 709, 710, 711, 712, 713, 714, 715, 716, 717, 718, 719, 720, 721, 722, 723, 724, 725, 726, 727, 728, 729, 730, 731, 732, 733, 734, 735, 736, 737, 738, 739, 740, 741, 742, 743, 744, 745, 746, 747, 748, 749, 750, 751, 752, 753, 754, 755, 756, 757, 758, 759, 760, 761, 762, 763, 764, 765, 766, 767, 768, 769, 770, 771, 772, 773, 774, 775, 776, 777, 778, 779, 780, 781, 782, 783, 784, 785, 786, 787, 788, 789, 790, 791, 792, 793, 794, 795, 796, 797, 798, 799, 800, 801, 802, 803, 804, 805, 806, 807, 808, 809, 810, 811, 812, 813, 814, 815, 816, 817, 818, 819, 820, 821, 822, 823, 824, 825, 826, 827, 828, 829, 830, 831, 832, 833, 834, 835, 836, 837, 838, 839, 840, 841, 842, 843, 844, 845, 846, 847, 848, 849, 850, 851, 852, 853, 854, 855, 856, 857, 858, 859, 860, 861, 862, 863, 864, 865, 866, 867, 868, 869, 870, 871, 872, 873, 874, 875, 876, 877, 878, 879, 880, 881, 882, 883, 884, 885, 886, 887, 888, 889, 890, 891, 892, 893, 894, 895, 896, 897, 898, 899, 900, 901, 902, 903, 904, 905, 906, 907, 908, 909, 910, 911, 912, 913, 914, 915, 916, 917, 918, 919, 920, 921, 922, 923, 924, 925, 926, 927, 928, 929, 930, 931, 932, 933, 934, 935, 936, 937, 938, 939, 940, 941, 942, 943, 944, 945, 946, 947, 948, 949, 950, 951, 952, 953, 954, 955, 956, 957, 958, 959, 960, 961, 962, 963, 964, 965, 966, 967, 968, 969, 970, 971, 972, 973, 974, 975, 976, 977, 978, 979, 980, 981, 982, 983, 984, 985, 986, 987, 988, 989, 990, 991, 992, 993, 994, 995, 996, 997, 998, 999, 1000) in the HPPD enzyme sequence) that alter the enzyme's binding characteristics toward herbicides, thereby changing the sensitivity parameter to achieve resistance while maintaining catalytic function

Inventive Principle:
Principle #35Parameter changes

Solution Approach 2:

The patent employs copying by introducing a foreign gene (from microorganisms such as bacteria, fungi, or algae) that encodes a mutated HPPD enzyme into the plant genome. This foreign gene serves as a copy of the wild-type gene but with specific mutations that confer herbicide resistance, allowing the plant to produce the resistant enzyme protein

Inventive Principle:
Principle #26Copying

2Reliability

If herbicide application is increased for effective weed control, then weed elimination is improved, but crop plant damage and chemical usage increase

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveweed control effectivenessVSAvoidherbicide chemical usage
Core Design Contradiction:
ReliabilityVSLoss of substance

Solution Approach 1:

The patent applies self-service by enabling the crop plant to protect itself through the expression of mutated HPPD enzyme that is resistant to herbicides. The plant's own metabolic system (via the introduced gene) neutralizes the herbicide's effect, allowing effective weed control at lower herbicide doses without damaging the crop

Inventive Principle:
Principle #25Self-service

Applied Scientific Principles

This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.

Function Achieved in This Case

The approach results in plants with enhanced tolerance to HPPD-inhibiting herbicides, allowing for effective weed control while minimizing herbicide impact on crop plants, thereby improving agricultural efficiency and reducing chemical usage.

Implementation Method 1

4-hydroxyphenylpyruvate dioxygenase (4-HPPD; EC 1.13.11.27), a key enzyme in the biosynthesis of the prenymquinones plastoquinone and tocopherols

Methodology Applied
Scientific EffectEnzyme: Enzyme

Implementation Method 2

The inhibitors mimic the binding of the substrate 4-hydroxyphenylpyruvate to an enzyme-bound ferrous ion in the active site by forming a stable ion-dipole charge transfer complex

Methodology Applied
Scientific EffectIon-dipole charge transfer complex:

Data Source

PatentUS11248234B2Herbicide-resistant hydroxyphenylpyruvate dioxygenases
Publication Date: 2022.02.15 BASF SE
  • US11248234B2 patent drawing
  • US11248234B2 patent drawing
  • US11248234B2 patent drawing

AI summary

The present invention refers to method for producing a transgenic plant with increased herbicide tolerance or resistance as compared to a corresponding non-transformed wild type plant, comprising transforming a plant cell or a plant cell nucleus or a plant tissue with a nucleic acid molecule encoding a mutated HPPD polypeptide, as well as to the nucleic acid, and plants with increased HPPD-inhibiting herbicide tolerance or resistance comprising the nucleic acid of the invention.