Plant trait gene expression cassette design

Abstract

Plant biotechnology depends on robust control of trait gene expression to produce an adequate level of protein or RNA in the appropriate cells at the correct time. Early biotechnology products depended on high protein production in most plant cells, and relied on relatively few well-characterized "promoters." This demand continues and has expanded into other classes of expression control, such as tissue specificity and environmental responsiveness, as new trait technologies are pursued. Genomic information can be leveraged to meet this demand now and well into the future. A method has been developed of identifying donor genes in genomic data, and simplifying their annotation to facilitate design and development of effective expression cassettes. This approach greatly reduces the effort and expense of producing novel trait gene expression tools. Coupled with chemical DNA synthesis technology, this approach makes it possible to develop reliable expression cassettes from virtually any plant gene.