GENETICALLY MODIFIED PLANTS WITH HETEROGENEOUS PROTEINASE INHIBITOR SAPIN2A AND METHODS OF USE THEREOF FOR THE INHIBITION OF ENDOGENOUS TRYPSIN-AND CHYMOTRYPSIN-LIKE ACTIVITIES

The present invention relates to a proteinase inhibitor II cDNA, SaPIN2 a from Solanum americanum, and its encoded protein product or a fragment thereof. The present invention also relates to genetically modified plants, and in particular genetically modified lettuce. The genetically modified plants have an inhibited endogeno us protease activity, such as inhibited trypsin-like and chymotrypsin-like activities following transformation of the plant with a vector comprising a proteinase inhibitor II cDNA, SaPIN2a, using Agrobacterium-mediated transformation. The invention further relates to a recombinant vector that transforms lettuce so as to confer upon the lettuce inhibited endogenous trypsin-like and chymotrypsin-like activities. The vector compris es a proteinase inhibitor II cDNA, SaPIN2a with a CaMV 35S promoter.; The inventio n further relates to a method of producing a plant with inhibited endogenous trypsin- like and chymotrypsin-like activities by expressing a proteinase inhibitor II cDNA. T he invention also relates to methods of enhanced resistance of plants to pests or pathogens, including insects. In specific embodiments, the transgenic plants have enhanced resistance to cabbage looper (Trichoplusia ni). The invention further relates to a method of protection of heterogeneous protein production in transgenic plants.published_or_final_versio