US 12,234,468 B2
Method for decreasing the alkaloid content of a tobacco plant
Sara Ben Khaled, London (GB); and Francisco Anastacio De Abreu E Lima, London (GB)
Assigned to BRITISH AMERICAN TOBACCO (INVESTMENTS) LIMITED, London (GB)
Appl. No. 17/310,160
Filed by BRITISH AMERICAN TOBACCO (INVESTMENTS) LIMITED, London (GB)
PCT Filed Jan. 23, 2020, PCT No. PCT/GB2020/050153
§ 371(c)(1), (2) Date Jul. 22, 2021,
PCT Pub. No. WO2020/152466, PCT Pub. Date Jul. 30, 2020.
Claims priority of application No. 1900940 (GB), filed on Jan. 23, 2019.
Prior Publication US 2022/0090112 A1, Mar. 24, 2022
Int. Cl. C12N 15/82 (2006.01); A24B 15/10 (2006.01)
CPC C12N 15/8243 (2013.01) [A24B 15/10 (2013.01); C12N 15/8218 (2013.01)] 15 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. A method of decreasing the alkaloid content of a Nicotiana plant or a part thereof, or a Nicotiana cell or cell culture, the method comprising modifying said plant or cell or cell culture by decreasing the activity or expression of a gene encoding a SOUL haem-binding protein wherein the gene encoding a SOUL haem-binding protein encodes a polypeptide which comprises an amino acid sequence as set out in SEQ ID NO: 1, 4, 7, 10, 13, 16, 19 or 22,
wherein the content of one or more alkaloids selected from nicotine, nornicotine, pseudoxynicotine (PON), anabasine and anatabine is decreased in comparison to a plant or cell or cell culture which has not been modified to modulate the activity or expression of the gene encoding a SOUL haem-binding protein, and
wherein the activity or expression of the gene encoding a SOUL haem-binding protein is decreased in comparison to a plant or cell or cell culture which has not been modified to modulate the activity or expression of gene encoding a SOUL haem-binding protein.