SBIR/STTR Phase I: New GUS Substrates for Cell Regulation

This Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) Phase I project is to develop commercial uses for conjugates capable of exploiting cloned gene expression in transformed plant cells to control their growth and physiology. The specific goal of this project is to synthesize a series of new beta-glucuronide conjugates of plant regulatory substances and to test these conjugates for their ability to modify the growth and protein expression of specific tissues and cells expressing the beta-glucuronidase (GUS) marker gene. Conjugates will be assayed in tissue culture and in whole plants for the ability to cause localized cell death in a promoter dependent manner. Such compounds will be of general use for plant research on the control of development and gene expression and have the potential to produce agriculturally important plant species in a reversible manner, through the use of selective application of substrate and choice of reporter gene and promoter elements. The commercial application of this project is in the area of agricultural biotechnology.