Plant Regulatory Elements for Precise Gene Expression Control
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current methods for regulating gene expression in plants lack a comprehensive collection of regulatory elements that can precisely control the expression of heterologous DNA sequences in specific tissues or in response to stimuli, limiting the ability to confer desired traits such as pathogen resistance, herbicide tolerance, or stress resistance.
Innovation Solution
The development of novel polynucleotide sequences and DNA constructs comprising regulatory elements, including promoters and enhancers, that can initiate transcription in plant cells, allowing for the creation of transgenic plants with controlled expression of heterologous nucleotide sequences, thereby modulating phenotypes such as resistance to pathogens, herbicides, or environmental stresses.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Measurement precision
If tissue-preferred promoters are used to achieve specific tissue expression, then expression control precision is improved, but the complexity of selecting and characterizing appropriate regulatory elements increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent segments the regulatory element collection into distinct functional categories (tissue-preferred promoters, inducible promoters, constitutive promoters, enhancers, antisense sequences) to systematically organize and manage the complexity of achieving precise expression control across different plant tissues and conditions
Solution Approach 2:
The patent creates a universal collection of regulatory elements that can be applied across multiple plant species and experimental contexts, allowing a single set of characterized elements to serve multiple functions in different tissue types and stress conditions
2Adaptability or versatility
If a comprehensive collection of regulatory elements is developed, then the ability to express traits in desired tissues is improved, but the time and resources required for isolation and characterization increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent performs preliminary isolation and characterization of regulatory elements from multiple plant species before they are needed for specific trait expression experiments, creating a pre-characterized collection that can be directly applied to achieve desired phenotypes without time-consuming element discovery and optimization
Solution Approach 2:
The patent varies parameters such as tissue type, stress condition, and promoter strength across the collected regulatory elements to systematically characterize their expression patterns, enabling efficient selection of appropriate elements for specific applications without repeated experimental optimization
3Measurement precision
If novel polynucleotide sequences are developed for regulatory elements, then expression control precision is improved, but the complexity of DNA construct design increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies local quality by matching specific regulatory element properties (tissue preference, induction response, expression strength) to the local requirements of each target tissue or experimental condition, optimizing expression control precision while managing construct design complexity through targeted element selection
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
Enables precise and controlled expression of genes in plants, enhancing resistance to pathogens, herbicides, and environmental stresses, and allowing for the modulation of endogenous and exogenous products, leading to novel or modulated functions in transgenic plants.
Implementation Method 1
regulatory elements that initiate transcription are provided. In some embodiments the regulatory element has promoter activity initiating transcription in a plant cell
Data Source
AI summary
The present disclosure relates to the field of plant molecular biology, more particularly to regulation of gene expression in plants.