Abstract: The present invention is directed to an isolated DNA molecule encoding a Xanthomonas campestris hypersensitive response elicitor protein or polypeptide. The hypersensitive response elicitor protein or polypeptide of the present invention and the isolated DNA molecule that encodes such protein have the following uses: imparting disease resistance to plants, enhancing plant growth, controlling insects on plants, imparting stress resistance, imparting post-harvest disease resistance, maximizing the benefit of or overcoming a yield penalty associated with a transgenic trait, inhibiting desiccation of cuttings from ornamental plants, promoting early flowering of an ornamental plant, and harvesting cuttings from ornamental plants. These can be achieved by applying the hypersensitive response elicitor in a non-infectious form to plants or plant seeds (or cuttings or fruits or vegetables harvested from such plants) or by expression of the hypersensitive response elicitor in transgenic plants.

Abstract: The present invention is directed to the structure of an isolated protein or polypeptide which elicits a hypersensitive response in plants as well as an isolated nucleic acid molecule which encodes the hypersensitive response eliciting protein or polypeptide. This protein or polypeptide has an acid portion linked to an alpha helix or a pair of spaced apart domains comprising an acidic portion linked to an alpha-helix. This isolated protein or polypeptide and the isolated nucleic acid molecule can used to impart disease resistance to plants, to enhance plant growth, to control insects, and/or to impart stress resistance to plants. This can be achieved by applying the hypersensitive response elicitor protein or polypeptide in a non-infectious form to plants or plant seeds under conditions effective to impart disease resistance, to enhance plant growth, to control insects, and/or to impart stress resistance to plants or plants grown from the plant seeds.

Abstract: The present invention relates to methods of improving the effectiveness of transgenic plants, either by maximizing the benefit of a transgenic trait in transgenic plants or overcoming deleterious effects on growth, stress tolerance, disease resistance, or insect resistance in transgenic plants expressing a transgenic trait. By applying a hypersensitive response elicitor protein or polypeptide to a transgenic plant expressing a transgene which confers a transgenic trait, or by preparing a transgenic plant expressing both a transgene which confers a transgenic trait and a second transgene which confers hypersensitive response elicitor expression, it is possible to realize the maximum benefit of the transgenic trait or overcome deleterious effects on growth, stress tolerance, disease resistance, or insect resistance which result from or accompany expression of the transgene conferring the transgenic trait.

Abstract: The present invention relates to a methods of inhibiting postharvest disease or desiccation in a fruit or vegetable, either by treating a fruit or vegetable with a hypersensitive response elicitor protein or polypeptide under conditions effective to inhibit postharvest disease or desiccation, or by providing a transgenic plant or plant seed transformed with a DNA molecule encoding a hypersensitive response elicitor polypeptide or protein and growing the transgenic plant or transgenic plant produced from the transgenic plant seed under conditions effective to inhibit a postharvest disease or desiccation in a fruit or vegetable harvested from the transgenic plant. Also disclosed are DNA constructs and expression systems, host cells, and transgenic plants containing the DNA construct.

Abstract: The present invention is directed to an isolated protein which serves as a receptor in plants for a plant pathogen hypersensitive response elicitor. Also disclosed are nucleic acid molecules encoding such receptors as well as expression vectors, host cells, transgenic plants, and transgenic plant seeds containing such nucleic acid molecules. Both the protein and nucleic acid can be used to identify agents targeting plant cells to enhance a plant's receptivity to treatment with a hypersensitive response elicitor and to directly impart plant growth enhancement as well as resistance against disease, insects, and stress.

Abstract: The present invention relates to a method of enhancing growth of plants. This involves applying a hypersensitive response elicitor polypeptide or protein in a non-infectious form to a plant or plant seed under conditions effective to enhance growth of the plant or plants produced from the plant seed. Alternatively, transgenic plants or transgenic plant seeds transformed with a DNA molecule encoding a hypersensitive response elicitor polypeptide or protein can be provided and the transgenic plants or plants resulting from the transgenic plant seeds are grown under conditions effective to enhance plant growth.

Abstract: The present invention is directed to isolated fragments of an Erwinia hypersensitive response elicitor protein or polypeptide which fragments elicit a hypersensitive response in plants. Also disclosed are isolated DNA molecules which encode the Erwinia hypersensitive response eliciting fragment. Isolated fragments of hypersensitive response elicitor proteins or polypeptides, which elicit a hypersensitive response, and the isolated DNA molecules that encode them can used to impart disease resistance to plants, to enhance plant growth, and/or to control insects on plants. This can be achieved by applying the hypersensitive response eliciting fragments in a non-infectious form to plants or plant seeds under conditions effective to impart disease resistance, to enhance plant growth, and/or to control insects on plants or plants grown from the plant seeds.

Abstract: The present invention relates to a method of imparting pathogen resistance to plants. This involves applying a hypersensitive response elicitor polypeptide or protein in a non-infectious form to a plant seed under conditions where the polypeptide or protein contacts cells of the plant seed. The present invention is also directed to a pathogen resistance imparting plant seed. Alternatively, transgenic plant seeds containing a DNA molecule encoding a hypersensitive response elicitor polypeptide or protein can be planted in soil and a plant can be propagated from the planted seed under conditions effective to impart pathogen resistance to the plant.

Abstract: The present invention is directed to an isolated protein or polypeptide which elicits a hypersensitive response in plants as well as an isolated DNA molecule which encodes the hypersensitive response eliciting protein or polypeptide. This isolated protein or polypeptide and the isolated DNA molecule can used to impart disease resistance to plants, to enhance plant growth, and/or to control insects on plants. This can be achieved by applying the hypersensitive response elicitor protein or polypeptide in a non-infectious form to plants or plant seeds under conditions effective to impart disease resistance, to enhance plant growth, and/or to control insects on plants or plants grown from the plant seeds.

Abstract: The nucleic acid and amino acid sequences for proteinaceous elicitors of the plant defense reaction known as the hypersensitive response are described along with methods for preparation and processes for inactivation.

Abstract: The present invention relates to a method of controlling insects on plants. This involves applying a hypersensitive response elicitor polypeptide or protein in a non-infectious form to a plant or plant seed under conditions effective to control insects on the plant or plants produced from the plant seed. Alternatively, transgenic plants or transgenic plant seeds transformed with a DNA molecule encoding a hypersensitive response elicitor polypeptide or protein can be provided and the transgenic plants or plants resulting from the transgenic plant seeds are grown under conditions effective to control insects.

Abstract: The present invention relates to a method of imparting pathogen resistance to plants. This involves applying a hypersensitive response elicitor polypeptide or protein in a non-infectious form to a plant under conditions where the polypeptide or protein contacts cells of the plant. The present invention is also directed to a pathogen resistant plant and a composition for imparting pathogen resistance to plants.

Abstract: The nucleic acid and amino acid sequences for proteinaceous elicitors of the plant defense reaction known as the hypersensitive response are described along with methods for preparation and processes for inactivation.

Abstract: The present invention relates to a method of imparting pathogen resistance to plants. This involves applying a hypersensitive response elicitor polypeptide or protein in a non-infectious form to a plant under conditions where the polypeptide or protein contacts cells of the plant. The present invention is also directed to a pathogen resistant plant and a composition for imparting pathogen resistance to plants.

Abstract: The present invention relates to a method of imparting pathogen resistance to plants. This involves applying a hypersensitive response elicitor polypeptide or protein in a non-infectious form to a plant under conditions where the polypeptide or protein contacts cells of the plant. The present invention is also directed to a pathogen resistant plant and a composition for imparting pathogen resistance to plants.