Gene constructs encoding crop-protecting agents, as well as transformed plants containing and expressing such constructs, and methods of controlling plague organisms and pathogens in crops

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