Patent ID: 8273955
Filing Date: 2012-09-25
Classification: C12N,Y02A

Abstract:
1. A genetically modified and non-naturally occurring plant comprising a nucleotide sequence encoding a modified Calcium and Calmodulin-dependent protein kinase (CCaMK) polypeptide which is autophosphorylation deficient and having at least 85% sequence identity to an amino acid sequence selected from the group consisting of SEQ ID NO: 7, SEQ ID NO: 8, SEQ ID NO: 9, SEQ ID NO: 10, SEQ ID NO: 11, SEQ ID NO: 15, SEQ ID NO: 26, and SEQ ID NO: 27; wherein amino acid residue designated as Xaa in said amino acid sequence is at an autophosphorylation site in a native and unmodified CCaMK polypeptide; wherein said modified CCaMK is autophosphorylation-deficient at the amino acid residue corresponding to said Xaa; wherein said Xaa is selected from the group consisting of isoleucine, leucine, valine, methionine, alanine, phenylalanine, tyrosine, tryptophan, arginine, lysine, glycine, histidine, aspartate, asparagine, glutamate, glutamine, proline, and cysteine; and wherein expression of said modified CCaMK polypeptide in said genetically modified plant results in spontaneous nodule formation which is independent of Rhizobium -induction and exogenous Nod-factor signalling in said plant.