New gamma-amino butyric acid permease gene - for growth inhibition of microbial or plant cells or as selectable marker

摘要

A gene for GABA permease is claimed (GABA = gamma-aminobutyric acid). Also claimed are: (1) GABA permease having a cytotoxic effect on cells in which it is overexpressed; (2) a plasmid contg. the gene; and (3) microorganisms (esp. E. coli), plants, plant cells and seeds contg. the plasmid. USE - Overexpression of the gene in microbial or plant cells may be used to produce cytotoxic effects in microorganisms, plants, plant cells or seeds, e.g. transforming plants with the gene under the control of a pathogen- or wound-inducible promoter produces hypersensitive resistance to pathogen attack, and transforming plants with the gene under the control of an anther-specific promoter may be used to produce male-sterile plants. The gene may also be used as a selectable marker for: (a) detecting plasmids contg. DNA inserts, since cells contg. plasmids with the insert in the GABA permease gene will not be inhibited in growth; and (b) positive selection of integrated DNA fragments in the genome of an organism, by using a cloning vector contg. a selectable DNA fragment and the GABA permease gene, and selecting clones contg. the integrated fragment without episomal or chromosomal copies of the GABA permease gene