The present invention is directed to isolated proteins or polypeptides
which elicit a hypersensitive response in plants, as well as isolated DNA
molecules which encode the hypersensitive response eliciting proteins or
polypeptides. These isolated proteins or polypeptides and the isolated
DNA molecules can be used to impart disease resistance, stress
resistance, and enhanced growth to plants or plants grown from treated
seeds, to control insects on plants or plants grown from treated plant
seeds, to impart post-harvest disease or desiccation resistance in fruits
or vegetables, to impart enhanced longevity of fruit or vegetable
ripeness, to impart desiccation resistance to cuttings of ornamental
plants, and/or promote early flowering of ornamental plants, either by
topical application of the proteins or polypeptides or transgenic
expression in recombinant plants or plant seeds.
