Transgenic bioluminescent plants

摘要

Transgenic plants, and a method for making the same, wherein genes encoding the enzyme luciferase and its corresponding substrate luciferin are incorporated into a native plant genome. Once transformed into plant cells, these genes may be regulated such that under certain endogenous or exogenous conditions, their expression in the mature plant results in bioluminescence. Different luciferin/luciferase complexes and/or mechanisms of regulation may be utilized for these transgenic plants, depending on a variety of factors such as plant species and the circumstances under which a biolmuniescent reaction is desired. Phototransformation may be utilized to vary the wavelength of light emitted from the mature plant.

主权项

1. A transgenic bioluminescent plant cell comprising within its genome a lux gene encoding a luciferase, a lux gene encoding a luciferin that is compatible with said luciferase, and a light-inducible promoter and/or a health-linked promoter operably linked to at least one of said lux genes, wherein said health-linked promoter is an inducible promoter.