Demegen, Inc. announced today that results reported by the Company's collaborators confirm the enhanced bacterial and fungal disease resistance provided by Demegen's genes. These findings were presented at the 1999 Congress On In Vitro Biology, which was held in New Orleans early this month.  The Company said that scientists at the USDA Southern Regional Research Center in New Orleans successfully demonstrated the utility of Demegen's D4E1 gene. The findings determined that D4E1 provides enhanced levels of disease resistance in transgenic tobacco against the fungal pathogen Colletotrichum destructivum, which causes anthracnose, and against a bacterial pathogen known as Pseudomonas syringae pv. tabaci, which causes fireblight.

In vitro tests using leaf extracts from transgenic tobacco containing the D4E1 gene also demonstrated a high degree of control against germinating conidia of three major pathogens: Aspergillus flavus, Fusarium moniliforme, and Verticillium dahliae.

In parallel experiments with cotton, transformed embryogenic callus cultures demonstrated antifungal activity against A. flavus and V. dahliae using genes designed by Demegen Vice President of Research Jesse Jaynes. Antifungal assays with transgenic cotton plants are in progress under the direction of several USDA/ARS scientists, including K. Rajasekaran, J. Cary, and T.E. Cleveland.

"These assay, or test results once again confirm the enhanced disease resistance of Demegen's molecules against a broad range of major plant pathogens," stated Company President Richard Ekstrom. "We are confident that our molecular designs will play a major role in combating the world's most serious plant diseases, a contribution that will be important to farmers and consumers alike."

Also reported at the conference, University of Georgia scientists H.Y. Yang, R. Gill, and P. Ozias-Akins successfully transformed peanuts via microprojectile bombardment of somatic embryogenic cultures with Demegen's D4E1 gene. Transgenic tissues were easily regenerated into whole plants and Southern blot analysis demonstrated stable integration of the gene into the peanut genome. Tests are ongoing to determine activity against the fungal pathogen Aspergillus flavus, which often leads to the creation of aflatoxin in the plant.

Demegen, Inc. is a biopharmaceutical firm that designs novel synthetic peptides and proteins. The Company is currently conducting preclinical development of its patented compounds for cancers and infectious diseases. Demegen also has patented technologies for disease resistant and nutritionally enhanced commercial crops, and has licensed two broad applications to Dow AgroSciences LLC.

Company news release
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