Abstract: The present invention is directed to increasing the efficacy of agricultural chemicals. This can be achieved by applying at least one agricultural chemical to a plant or plant seed under conditions effective for the agricultural chemical to perform its intended function and applying at least one hypersensitive response elicitor protein or polypeptide to the plant or plant seed under conditions effective to increase the efficacy of the agricultural chemical. Alternatively, the present invention relates to a method for increasing the efficacy of agricultural chemicals by applying an agricultural chemical to a transgenic plants or transgenic seeds transformed with nucleic acid molecule which encodes a hypersensitive response elicitor protein or polypeptide, wherein the agricultural chemical is applied under conditions effective for the agricultural chemical to perform its intended function but with increased efficacy.

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 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 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 is directed to increasing the efficacy of agricultural chemicals. This can be achieved by applying at least one agricultural chemical to a plant or plant seed under conditions effective for the agricultural chemical to perform its intended function and applying at least one hypersensitive response elicitor protein or polypeptide to the plant or plant seed under conditions effective to increase the efficacy of the agricultural chemical. Alternatively, the present invention relates to a method for increasing the efficacy of agricultural chemicals by applying an agricultural chemical to a transgenic plants or transgenic seeds transformed with nucleic acid molecule which encodes a hypersensitive response elicitor protein or polypeptide, wherein the agricultural chemical is applied under conditions effective for the agricultural chemical to perform its intended function but with increased efficacy.

Abstract: Isolated fragments of an Erwinia hypersensitive response elicitor protein or polypeptide that elicit a hypersensitive response in plants and isolated DNA molecules that encode those fragments are disclosed. Isolated fragments of hypersensitive response elicitor proteins or polypeptides, which elicit a hypersensitive response, and the isolated DNA molecules that encode them can be used to impart disease resistance to plants, to enhance plant growth, and/or to control insects on plants, either by applying the hypersensitive response eliciting fragments to plants or plant seeds or by providing transgenic plants or plant seeds transformed with a DNA molecule encoding a hypersensitive response eliciting fragment.

Abstract: The present invention relates to a method of enhancing growth in plants. Transgenic plants or transgenic plant seeds transformed with a DNA molecule encoding a hypersensitive response elicitor polypeptide or protein are grown and, optionally, the transgenic plants or plants resulting from the transgenic plant seeds further have the hypersensitive response elicitor polypeptide or protein applied to them.

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 is directed to an isolated DNA molecule encoding a Xanthomonas campestris hypersensitive response elicitor protein or polypeptide. The DNA molecule that encodes such protein has 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, and promoting early flowering of an ornamental plant. These can be achieved by expression of the hypersensitive response elicitor in transgenic plants. Transgenic plants, plants seeds, and cuttings from such transgenic plants are also disclosed.

Abstract: The present invention is directed to isolated active fragments of a hypersensitive response elicitor protein or polypeptide which fragment does not elicit a hypersensitive response in plants. Also disclosed are isolated DNA molecules which encode such fragments. Isolated fragments of hypersensitive response elicitor proteins or polypeptides in accordance with the present invention and the isolated DNA molecules that encode them have the following activities: imparting disease resistance to plants, enhancing plant growth, and/or controlling insects on plants. This can be achieved by applying the fragments of a hypersensitive response elicitor 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 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 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 imparting stress resistance to plants. This can be achieved by applying a hypersensitive response elicitor in a non-infectious form to plants or plant seeds under conditions effective to impart stress resistance to plants or plants grown from the plant seeds. Alternatively, transgenic plants or plant seeds transformed with a DNA molecule encoding the elicitor can be provided and the transgenic plants or plants resulting from the transgenic plant seeds are grown under conditions effective to impart stress resistance to plants or plants grown from the plant seeds.

Abstract: Isolated fragments of an Erwinia hypersensitive response elicitor protein or polypeptide that elicit a hypersensitive response in plants and isolated DNA molecules that encode those fragments are disclosed. Isolated fragments of hypersensitive response elicitor proteins or polypeptides, which elicit a hypersensitive response, and the isolated DNA molecules that encode them can be used to impart disease resistance to plants, to enhance plant growth, and/or to control insects on plants, either by applying the hypersensitive response eliciting fragments to plants or plant seeds or by providing transgenic plants or plant seeds transformed with a DNA molecule encoding a hypersensitive response eliciting fragment.

Abstract: The present invention is directed to imparting stress resistance to plants. This can be achieved by applying a hypersensitive response elicitor in a non-infectious form to plants or plant seeds under conditions effective to impart stress resistance to plants or plants grown from the plant seeds. Alternatively, transgenic plants or plant seeds transformed with a DNA molecule encoding the elicitor can be provided and the transgenic plants or plants resulting from the transgenic plant seeds are grown under conditions effective to impart stress resistance to plants or plants grown from the plant seeds.

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 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: Disclosed are methods of inhibiting desiccation of cuttings from ornamental plants, methods of harvesting cuttings from ornamental plants, methods of promoting early flowering of ornamental plants, and methods of enhancing the longevity of flower blooms on ornamental plant cuttings. The ornamental plants can be transgenic plants which express a heterologous hypersensitive response elicitor protein or polypeptide or the ornamental plants can be treated via topical application with a hypersensitive response elicitor protein or polypeptide. Alternatively, cuttings from the ornamental plant can be treated with a hypersensitive response elicitor protein or polypeptide, independent of any treatment provided to the ornamental plant from which the cutting is removed.

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 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.