Plant methionine synthase gene and methods for increasing the methionine content of the seeds of plants

US7026527B2 · kind B2 · utility

Assignee

• E.I. DU PONT DE NEMOURS AND COMPANY · US

Inventors

• Saverio Carl Falco · Arden, US
• Omolayo O. Famodu · Newark, US
• Jan Rafalski · Wilmington, US
• Michael Ramaker · Wilmington, US
• Mitchell C. Tarczynski · West Des Moines, US
• Catherine Thorpe · Cambridge, GB

Key dates

• Filing date: Jan 28, 2002
• Grant date: Apr 11, 2006
• Expiry date: Jan 8, 2023

Classification

• Technology area (CPC C): Chemistry; Metallurgy
• CPC primary: C12N15/8253
• WIPO field: Biotechnology
• WIPO sector: Chemistry

Abstract

This invention relates to a nucleic acid fragment encoding a plant 5-methyltetra-hydropteroyltriglutamate-homocysteine methyltransferase or methionine synthase. The invention also includes chimeric genes, a first encoding a plant methionine synthase (MS) gene, a second encoding a plant cystathionine γ-synthase (CS) gene, a third encoding feedback-insensitive aspartokinase (AK) or bifunctional feedback-insensitive aspartokinase-homoserine dehydrogenase (AK-HDH), which is operably linked to a plant chloroplast transit sequence, and a fourth encoding a methionine-rich protein, all operably linked to plant seed-specific regulatory sequences. Methods for their use to produce increased levels of methionine in the seeds of transformed plants are provided.