Patents Represented by Attorney, Agent or Law Firm J. Timothy Meigs
-
Patent number: 6069301Abstract: Antibodies, monoclonal antibodies or fragments thereof which bind to brush border membrane vesicles of insect gut and the gene or genes which encode these proteins are provided. The monoclonal antibodies bind the gut of a target insect but do not bind to mammalian brush border membranes or to plant microsomes. The antibodies and the genes encoding them find use in constructing hybrid toxins for control of insect pests.Type: GrantFiled: December 20, 1996Date of Patent: May 30, 2000Assignee: Novartis Finance CorporationInventors: Nadine Barbara Carozzi, Michael Gene Koziel
-
Patent number: 6066783Abstract: The present invention is drawn to pesticidal strains and proteins. Bacillus strains which are capable of producing pesticidal proteins and auxiliary proteins during vegetative growth are provided. Also provided are the purified proteins, nucleotide sequences encoding the proteins and methods for using the strains, proteins and genes for controlling pests.Type: GrantFiled: April 27, 1999Date of Patent: May 23, 2000Assignee: Novartis Finance CorporationInventors: Gregory W. Warren, Michael G. Koziel, Martha A. Mullins, Gordon J. Nye, Brian Carr, Nalini M. Desai, Kristy Kostichka
-
Patent number: 6057490Abstract: Methods are provided for selecting parental plants exhibiting disease resistance and for using these plants in breeding programs. In one method of the invention, constitutive immunity (cim) mutants are screened for either resistance to a pathogen of interest or for the expression of systemic acquired resistance (SAR) genes. Such mutants having the desired traits or expressing the desired genes are then used in breeding programs. Parent plants can also be selected based on the constitutive expression of SAR genes. These mutants are phenotypically normal yet exhibit a significant level of disease resistance. Also disclosed are lesion-simulating-disease (lsd) mutants having a lesion mimic phenotype that also express SAR genes and exhibit disease resistance. Further disclosed are non-inducible immunity (nim) mutants that do not express SAR genes, even when induced by a pathogen. Methods of use for these mutants are also disclosed.Type: GrantFiled: December 30, 1998Date of Patent: May 2, 2000Assignee: Novartis Finance CorporationInventors: John Andrew Ryals, Scott Joseph Uknes, Eric Russell Ward, Klaus Maleck
-
Patent number: 6051760Abstract: DNA sequences optimized for expression in plants are disclosed. The DNA sequences preferably encode for an insecticidal polypeptides, particularly insecticidal proteins from Bacillus thuringiensis. Plant promoters, particular tissue-specific and tissue-preferred promoters are also provided. Additionally disclosed are transformation vectors comprising said DNA sequences. The transformation vectors demonstrate high levels of insecticidal activity when transformed into maize.Type: GrantFiled: June 2, 1995Date of Patent: April 18, 2000Assignee: Novartis Finance CorporationInventors: Michael G. Koziel, Nalini M. Desai, Gregory W. Warren, Stephen V. Evola, Martha S. Wright, Karen L. Launis, Cindy G. Bowman, John L. Dawson, Erik M. Dunder, Gary M. Pace, Janet L. Suttie
-
Patent number: 6040504Abstract: A promoter isolated from a cotton gene encoding the small subunit of ribulose bisphosphate carboxylase is described. The isolated promoter is operably linked to a coding sequence of interest to make a chimeric gene.Type: GrantFiled: February 10, 1998Date of Patent: March 21, 2000Assignee: Novartis Finance CorporationInventors: Douglas Rice, Nadine Carozzi, David M. Anderson, Kanniah Rajasekaran, Thirumale S. Rangan, Richard Yenofsky, Richard Lotstein
-
Patent number: 6031153Abstract: The present invention concerns a method of protecting plants from pathogen attack through synergistic disease resistance attained by applying a conventional microbicide to immunomodulated plants. Immunomodulated plants are those in which SAR is activated and are therefore referred to as "SAR-on" plants. Immunomodulated plants may be provided in at least three different ways: by applying to plants a chemical inducer of SAR such as BTH, INA, or SA; through a selective breeding program based on constitutive expression of SAR genes and/or a disease-resistant phenotype; or by transforming plants with one or more SAR genes such as a functional form of the NIM1 gene. By concurrently applying a microbicide to an immunomodulated plant, disease resistance is unexpectedly synergistically enhanced; i.e., the level of disease resistance is greater than the expected additive levels of disease resistance.Type: GrantFiled: December 23, 1997Date of Patent: February 29, 2000Assignee: Novartis AGInventors: John Andrew Ryals, Leslie Bethards Friedrich, Scott Joseph Uknes, Antonio Molina-Fernandez, Wilhelm Ruess, Gertrude Knauf-Beiter, Ruth Beatrice Kung, Helmut Kessmann, Michael Oostendorp
-
Patent number: 6023012Abstract: The present invention provides novel DNA sequences isolated from soybean, wheat, cotton, sugar beet, rape, rice, sorghum, and sugar cane that coding for enzymes having protoporphyrinogen oxidase (protox) activity. In addition, the present invention teaches modified forms of protox enzymes that are herbicide tolerant. Plants expressing herbicide tolerant protox enzymes taught herein are also provided. These plants may be engineered for resistance to protox inhibitors via mutation of the native protox gene to a resistant form or they may be transformed with a gene encoding an inhibitor-resistant from of a plant protox enzyme.Type: GrantFiled: March 30, 1998Date of Patent: February 8, 2000Assignee: Novartis Finance CorporationInventors: Sandra L. Volrath, Marie A. Johnson, Sharon L. Potter, Eric R. Ward, Peter B. Heifetz
-
Patent number: 6018104Abstract: DNA sequences optimized for expression in plants are disclosed. The DNA sequences preferably encode for an insecticidal polypeptides, particularly insecticidal proteins from Bacillus thuringiensis. Plant promoters, particular tissue-specific and tissue-preferred promoters are also provided. Additionally disclosed are transformation vectors comprising said DNA sequences. The transformation vectors demonstrate high levels of insecticidal activity when transformed into maize.Type: GrantFiled: June 2, 1995Date of Patent: January 25, 2000Assignee: Novartis Finance CorporationInventors: Michael G. Koziel, Nalini M. Desai, Kelly S. Lewis, Vance C. Kramer, Gregory W. Warren, Stephen V. Evola, Martha S. Wright, Karen L. Launis, Steven J. Rothstein, Cindy G. Bowman, John L. Dawson, Erik M. Dunder, Gary M. Pace, Janet L. Suttie
-
Patent number: 6018099Abstract: DNA sequences are able to function as promoters of tissue-preferential transcription of associated DNA sequences in plants, particularly in the roots. These DNA sequences can be used in transformation vectors to produce transgenic plants which will express the heterologous genes preferentially in tissue, particularly in the roots of maize plants.Type: GrantFiled: May 25, 1995Date of Patent: January 25, 2000Assignee: Novartis Finance CorporationInventor: Annick J. de Framond
-
Patent number: 6018105Abstract: Promoters naturally associated with plant protoporphyrinogen oxidase (protox) coding sequences, and derivatives thereof, are provided. These promoters can be used to control the expression of an operably linked heterologous coding sequence in a plant cell. These promoters are particularly useful for expressing modified forms of herbicide target enzymes, particularly modified forms of protox, to achieve tolerance to herbicides that inhibit the corresponding unmodified enzymes. Recombinant DNA molecules and chimeric genes comprising these promoters are provided, as well as plant tissue and plants containing such chimeric genes.Type: GrantFiled: February 28, 1997Date of Patent: January 25, 2000Assignee: Novartis Finance CorporationInventors: Marie A. Johnson, Sandra L. Volrath, Eric R. Ward
-
Patent number: 6006470Abstract: The use of mannose binding lectins derived from Amaryllidaceae, Alliaceae, or Vicieae for the control of nematodes, in which said use may be either direct or via transgenic plant expression, and a method therefor.Type: GrantFiled: September 30, 1996Date of Patent: December 28, 1999Assignee: Novartis AGInventors: Irene Geoghegan, Walter Robertson, Nicholas Birch, Angharad Margaret Roscoe Gatehouse
-
Patent number: 6002068Abstract: The present invention relates, in general, to methods and compositions for controlling insects in monocotyledonous plants (monocots), particularly maize. More precisely, the present invention relates to (1) a method for controlling insects comprising feeding or contacting an insect with an insecticidal amount of transgenic monocotyledonous plant cells comprising a recombinant DNA sequence comprising a coding sequence encoding peroxidase and (2) a fertile transgenic monocot plant comprising a recombinant DNA sequence comprising a coding sequence encoding peroxidase.Type: GrantFiled: December 19, 1996Date of Patent: December 14, 1999Assignees: Novartis Finance Corporation, The Ohio State University, The United States of America as represented by the Secretary of AgricultureInventors: Laura Privalle, Juan Estruch, Martha Wright, Martha Beale Hill, Patrick Francis Dowd, Lawrence Mark Lagrimini
-
Patent number: 5986082Abstract: The NIM1 gene product is a structural homologue of the mammalian signal transduction factor I.kappa.B subclass .alpha.. The present invention exploits this discovery to provide altered forms of NIM1 that act as dominant-negative regulators of the systemic acquired resistance (SAR) signal transduction pathway. These altered forms of NIM1 confer the opposite phenotype as the nim1 mutant in plants transformed with the altered forms of NIM1; i.e., the transgenic plants exhibit constitutive SAR gene expression and a constitutive immunity (CIM) phenotype. The present invention further concerns DNA molecules encoding altered forms of the NIM1 gene, expression vectors containing such DNA molecules, and plants and plant cells transformed therewith. The invention also concerns methods of activating SAR in plants and conferring to plants a CIM phenotype and broad spectrum disease resistance by transforming the plants with DNA molecules encoding altered forms of the NIM1 gene product.Type: GrantFiled: December 12, 1997Date of Patent: November 16, 1999Assignee: Novartis AGInventors: Scott Joseph Uknes, Michelle Denise Hunt, Henry-York Steiner, John Andrew Ryals
-
Patent number: 5955348Abstract: Strains of Pseudomonas have been genetically engineered to have enhanced biocontrol properties. The strains of the invention are particularly effective against plant pathogenic fungi such as species of Rhizoctonia and Pythium, because the strains produce enhanced amounts of antifungal metabolites such as pyrrolnitrin that are active against these fungal pathogens. Both the genetically modified biocontrol strains and the antifungal metabolites can be used as active agents for biocontrol compositions.Type: GrantFiled: November 25, 1997Date of Patent: September 21, 1999Assignee: Novartis AGInventors: James Madison Ligon, Nancy R. Torkewitz, Dwight Steven Hill, Thomas Deane Gaffney, Jill Michelle Stafford
-
Patent number: 5955274Abstract: DNA sequences from the Internal Transcribed Spacers of the ribosomal RNA gene region are described for different species and strains of Septoria, Pseudocercosporella, Fusarium and Mycosphaerella. Specific primers from within these sequences are identified as being useful for the identification of the fungal isolates using PCR-based techniques.Type: GrantFiled: October 15, 1996Date of Patent: September 21, 1999Assignee: Novartis Finance CorporationInventors: James M. Ligon, James J. Beck
-
Patent number: 5942662Abstract: The present invention provides chemically regulatable DNA sequences capable of regulating transcription of an associated DNA sequence in plants or plant tissues, chimeric constructions containing such sequences, vectors containing such sequences and chimeric constructions, and transgenic plants and plant tissues containing these chimeric constructions. In one aspect, the chemically regulatable DNA sequences of the invention are derived from the 5' region of genes encoding pathogenisis-related (PR) proteins. The present invention also provides anti-pathogenic sequences derived from novel cDNAs coding for PR proteins which can be genetically engineered and transformed into plants to confer enhanced resistance to disease.Type: GrantFiled: November 14, 1997Date of Patent: August 24, 1999Assignee: Novartis Finance CorporationInventors: John A. Ryals, Christian T. Harms, Leslie B. Friedrich, James J. Beck, Scott J. Uknes, Eric R. Ward
-
Patent number: 5939602Abstract: The present invention provides novel DNA sequences coding for plant protoporphyrinogen oxidase (protox) enzymes from soybean, wheat, cotton, sugar beet, rape, rice and sorghum. In addition, the present invention teaches modified forms of protox enzymes that are herbicide tolerant. Plants expressing herbicide tolerant protox enzymes taught herein are also provided. These plants may be engineered for resistance to protox inhibitors via mutation of the native protox gene to a resistant form or they may be transformed with a gene encoding an inhibitor-resistant from of a plant protox enzyme.Type: GrantFiled: February 28, 1997Date of Patent: August 17, 1999Assignee: Novartis Finance CorporationInventors: Sandra L. Volrath, Marie A. Johnson, Eric R. Ward, Peter B. Heifetz
-
Patent number: PP11192Abstract: A new and distinct variety of Verbena plant, named Mylena, characterized particularly as to novelty by large, early appearing, dark purple flowers, and a growth habit that is initially semi-erect but later spreading and hanging.Type: GrantFiled: March 27, 1997Date of Patent: January 25, 2000Assignee: Novartis AGInventor: Henricus G. W. Stemkens
-
Patent number: PP11197Abstract: A new and distinct variety of Verbena plant, named Silvena, characterized particularly as to novelty by large, early-appearing purple flowers, and a growth habit that is initially semi-erect but later spreading and hanging.Type: GrantFiled: March 27, 1997Date of Patent: February 1, 2000Assignee: Novartis AGInventor: Henricus G. W. Stemkens
-
Patent number: PP11231Abstract: A new and distinct variety of Verbena plant, named Morena, characterized particularly as to novelty by large, early-appearing, vivid pink flowers, and a growth habit that is initially semi-erect but later spreading and hanging.Type: GrantFiled: March 27, 1997Date of Patent: February 22, 2000Assignee: Novartis AGInventor: Henricus G. W. Stemkens