TAL Effector HPPD Gene Modulation for Herbicide Tolerance
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current methods for developing plants tolerant to HPPD inhibitor herbicides, such as sulcotrione, mesotrione, and isoxaflutole, have limitations in providing sufficient tolerance, especially for post-emergence treatments and newer herbicide classes like triketones, pyrazolinates, and oxoprazin derivatives, which affect crop yield and weed control efficiency.
Innovation Solution
The use of transcription activator-like (TAL) effectors that specifically target and modulate the expression of genes involved in the HPPD metabolic pathway, enhancing herbicide tolerance by designing TAL effectors to recognize and bind to specific DNA sequences, thereby regulating the expression of enzymes targeted by HPPD inhibitor herbicides.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If conventional methods are used to develop plants tolerant to HPPD inhibitor herbicides, then some level of tolerance is achieved, but sufficient tolerance for post-emergence treatments and newer herbicide classes is not provided
Solution Approach 1:
The invention changes the expression level parameter of the HPPD enzyme by introducing transgenic constructs that overexpress HPPD enzyme activity. This parameter change enables the plant to maintain sufficient HPPD function even when inhibited by herbicides, thereby achieving reliable tolerance while maintaining crop yield and productivity
2Productivity
If higher doses of HPPD inhibitor herbicides are applied to achieve better weed control, then weed control efficiency improves, but crop damage increases when plant tolerance is insufficient
Solution Approach 1:
The invention provides beforehand cushioning by pre-establishing enhanced HPPD enzyme activity through transgenic modification before herbicide application. This prior enhancement creates a buffer that allows higher herbicide doses to be applied for improved weed control while the pre-existing enzyme excess protects the crop from damage
3Reliability
If transgenic constructs overexpressing HPPD enzyme are introduced to enhance tolerance, then plant tolerance to HPPD inhibitor herbicides increases, but the complexity of the genetic modification process increases
Solution Approach 1:
The invention achieves universality by using constitutive promoters (such as CaMV 35S or ubiquitin promoters) that can drive HPPD enzyme overexpression across different plant species and developmental stages. This universal approach simplifies the genetic modification process while achieving reliable herbicide tolerance across diverse crop systems
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
This approach significantly increases plant tolerance to a broad spectrum of HPPD inhibitor herbicides, allowing for higher herbicide doses without damaging the crop, thereby improving crop yield and enabling effective weed control.
Implementation Method 1
The TAL effector is capable of specifically recognizing a target nucleotide sequence, or a complementary strand thereof, within a target gene, and allowing said TAL effector to recognize and particularly bind to said target nucleotide sequence
Implementation Method 2
TAL effectors are a family of trans-kingdom transcriptional activators that can be readily engineered for highly specific gene targeting
Implementation Method 3
endogenous plant gene that encodes a protein that is involved in the metabolic pathway that is targeted by one or more inhibitor herbicides in that plant
Data Source
AI summary
The present disclosure relates to methods of altering expression of a genomic locus of interest or specifically targeting a genomic locus of interest in a plant cell, which may involve contacting the genomic locus with a non-naturally occurring or engineered composition that comprises a DNA binding domain comprising one or more Transcription Activator-Like (TAL) effector monomers specifically ordered to target the genomic locus of interest to improve tolerance of the plant cell to an effective concentration of an inhibitor herbicide.