US 11,692,199 B2
Synthetic desalination genetic circuit in plants
June Medford, Fort Collins, CO (US); Kevin Morey, Fort Collins, CO (US); Tessema Kassaw, Fort Collins, CO (US); and Mauricio Antunes, Fort Collins, CO (US)
Assigned to COLORADO STATE UNIVERSITY RESEARCH FOUNDATION, Fort Collins, CO (US)
Appl. No. 16/492,584
Filed by COLORADO STATE UNIVERSITY RESEARCH FOUNDATION, Fort Collins, CO (US)
PCT Filed Mar. 23, 2018, PCT No. PCT/US2018/024053
§ 371(c)(1), (2) Date Sep. 9, 2019,
PCT Pub. No. WO2018/175900, PCT Pub. Date Sep. 27, 2018.
Claims priority of provisional application 62/475,642, filed on Mar. 23, 2017.
Prior Publication US 2020/0048650 A1, Feb. 13, 2020
Int. Cl. C12N 15/82 (2006.01); C02F 3/32 (2023.01); C07K 14/415 (2006.01); C02F 103/08 (2006.01)
CPC C12N 15/8259 (2013.01) [C02F 3/327 (2013.01); C07K 14/415 (2013.01); C02F 2103/08 (2013.01)] 6 Claims
 
1. A transgenic plant genetically engineered to produce purified water, comprising:
a) a MYB41 polypeptide comprising at least 95% amino acid sequence identity to the amino acid sequence encoded by the nucleotide sequence as set forth in SEQ ID NO: 13, wherein expression of said MYB41 polypeptide results in the biosynthesis of a genetically encoded physical barrier component suberin in said transgenic plant, and a MYB36 polypeptide sequence comprising at least 95% amino acid sequence identity to the amino acid sequence encoded by the nucleotide sequence as set forth in SEQ ID NO: 10, wherein expression of said MYB36 polypeptide results in the biosynthesis of a genetically encoded physical barrier component Casparian Strip in said transgenic plant, and wherein said suberin and said Casparian Strip are produced in the root epidermis of said transgenic plant;
b) genetically encoded water filtering and transport components comprising an aquaporin polypeptide comprising at least 95% amino acid sequence identity to the amino acid sequence encoded by the nucleotide sequence as set forth in SEQ ID NO: 1, and wherein the aquaporin polypeptide is expressed in the root epidermis from a heterologous promoter operably linked to said nucleotide sequence of part b);
and
c) genetically encoded water retention and pumping components comprising a mannitol biosynthesis polypeptide comprising at least 95% amino acid sequence identity to the amino acid sequence encoded by the nucleotide sequence as set forth in SEQ ID NO: 19, and a mannitol transport polypeptide comprising at least 95% amino acid sequence identity to the amino acid sequence encoded by the nucleotide sequence as set forth in SEQ ID NO: 16, and wherein said mannitol biosynthesis polypeptide and said mannitol transporter polypeptide are expressed in the xylem parenchyma from a heterologous promoter operably linked to each of said nucleotide sequences of part c), wherein said transgenic plant, produces purified water when grown in water containing an impurity.