Abstract: The present invention provides methods to confer resistance to protoporphyrinogen-inhibiting herbicides onto crop plants. Resistance is conferred by genetically engineering the plants to express cloned DNA encoding a protoporphyrinogen oxidase resistant to porphyric herbicides. If such resistant crop plants are cultivated, utilization of these herbicides on fields of these crop plants becomes feasible. This should allow for simpler and more effective weed management, and increase the value of these herbicides for agricultural use. Furthermore, the present invention provides plants, algae, plant cells, and algal cells which have been made resistant to protoporphyrinogen oxidase-inhibiting herbicides by the subject methods using a herbicide-resistant protoporphyrinogen oxidase gene that has been prepared by genetic engineering methods.

Abstract: The present invention provides a promoter including the following DNA (a) or (b): (a) the DNA consisting of the nucleotide sequence of nucleotide numbers 1743 to 2301 in the nucleotide sequence represented by SEQ ID: No. 1; or, (b) the DNA which can be hybridized with said DNA (a) in a stringent condition and having a promoter function in a plant cell, and the like.

Abstract: The present invention provides a promoter which is characterized in that it has following DNA sequence (a) or (b) and a DNA having the nucleotide sequence shown by SEQ ID:No.1, (a) a DNA sequence having the nucleotide sequence represented by at least nucleotide numbers 112-246 within the nucleotide sequence shown by SEQ ID:No.2, (b) a DNA sequence having the nucleotide sequence represented by at least base numbers 186-282 within the nucleotide sequence shown by SEQ ID:No.3 (hereinafter referred to as the present promoter), a chimera gene having the above promoter, a vector having the above promoter, a transformant characterized in that the promoter, the chimera gene or the vector is introduced into a host cell, a method for expressing gene comprising a step of expressing the desired gene in a host cell under the control of the promoter, use of the promoter for controlling the expression of a desired gene in a host cell, and a method for producing the promoter.

Abstract: The present invention relates to a promoter functional in plant cells and plasmid that can regulate efficient expression of a gene of interest in plant cells. The promoter comprises a G-Box element, which enhances expression of an operably linked gene of interest in plants or plant cells. A further object of the invention is the plasmid pGbox10 or pGbox11, as well as plants or plant cells transformed with said plasmid.

Abstract: The gene expression in plants is remarkably increased by utilization of human-derived lysozyme and the growth of various pests is effectively inhibited. Thus, there is disclosed an excellent method for enhancing the disease and pest resistance of plants. With the use of this method, the control of disease and pest with agricultural chemicals can be made unnecessary or reduced, and plant breeding can be performed with more saved labor for a shorter period of time, as compared with the conventional plant breeding mainly by crossing.