Gene constructs encoding crop protection agents, and transformed plants containing and expressing such constructs, and methods of regulating disease organisms and pathogens in crops

摘要

The invention provides gene constructs comprising a nucleotide sequence encoding an antibody or part thereof which specifically binds to structures of a plague organism or pathogen, and a nucleotide encoding a protein which is toxic to said organism. The toxic protein may be a toxin or an enzyme having a toxic function. If the pathogen is a fungus or a bacterium, said antibody may be specific to cell-wall or cell-membrane antigens of the pathogen; if the plague organism is an insect or a nematode, said antibody may be specific to antigens of the alimentary tract. Also provided are expression systems and plague-resistant plants transformed with these systems, as well as immunotoxins encoded by the gene constructs and organisms containing the constructs or the immunotoxins for use as external crop-protecting agents.