Maize multidrug resistance-associated protein polynucleotides and methods of use

An expression cassette comprising a first nucleotide sequence selected from the group consisting of:

• a) a nucleotide sequence having at least 90% sequence identity to a nucleotide sequence comprising at least 50 contiguous nucleotides of the nucleotide sequence set forth in SEQ ID NO:
• 1, 2, 4, 6, 8, 10, 12, 71, or 14;
• b) a nucleotide sequence comprising at least 19 contiguous nucleotides of the nucleotide sequence set forth in SEQ ID NO:
• 1, 2, 4, 6, 8, 10, 12, 71, or 14;
• c) a nucleotide sequence encoding an amino acid sequence that has at least 90% sequence identity to the amino acid sequence set forth in SEQ ID NO:
• 3, 5, 7, 9, 11, 13, or 15;
• and
• d) a nucleotide sequence which is the complement of a), b), or c).

A method for producing food or feed with a reduced level of phytate, said method comprising:

• a) transforming a plant with a nucleic acid molecule comprising a first nucleotide sequence selected from the group consisting of:
• i) a nucleotide sequence having at least 90% sequence identity to a nucleotide sequence comprising at least 50 contiguous nucleotides of the nucleotide sequence set forth in SEQ ID NO:
• 1, 2, 4, 6, 8, 10, 12, 71, or 14;
• ii) a nucleotide sequence comprising at least 19 contiguous nucleotides of the nucleotide sequence set forth in SEQ ID NO:
• 1, 2, 4, 6, 8, 10, 12, 71, or 14;
• iii) a nucleotide sequence encoding an amino acid sequence that has at least 90% sequence identity to the amino acid sequence set forth in SEQ ID NO:
• 3, 5, 7, 9, 11, 13, or 15;
• and
• iv) a nucleotide sequence which is the complement of i), ii), or iii);
• b) growing said plant under conditions in which said nucleotide sequence is expressed;
• and
• c) producing food or feed from said plant,
• wherein said plant has a reduced level of phytate in comparison to a control plant.

A transformed plant comprising in its genome at least one stably incorporated nucleic acid molecule having a first nucleotide sequence selected from the group consisting of:

• a) a nucleotide sequence having at least 90% sequence identity to a nucleotide sequence comprising at least 50 contiguous nucleotides of the nucleotide sequence set forth in SEQ ID NO:
• 1, 2, 4, 6, 8, 10, 12, 71, or 14;
• b) a nucleotide sequence having at least 90% sequence identity to the nucleotide sequence set forth in SEQ ID NO:
• 1, 2, 4, 6, 8, 10, 12, 71, or 14;
• c) a nucleotide sequence comprising at least 19 nucleotides of the sequence set forth in SEQ ID NO:
• 1, 2, 4, 6, 8, 10, 12, 71, or 14;
• and
• d) a nucleotide sequence which is the complement of a), b), or c);
• wherein said plant has a reduced level of phytate compared to a control plant.

A method for producing food or feed with a reduced level of phytate, said method comprising the steps of:

• (a) transforming a plant cell with at least one first polynucleotide comprising at least 19 nucleotides of the sequence set forth in SEQ ID NO:
• 1, 2, 4, 6, 8, 10, 12, or 71;
• (b) transforming a plant cell with at least one second polynucleotide having at least 94% sequence identity to the complement of the polynucleotide of step (a);
• (c) regenerating a transformed plant from said plant cell;
• and
• (d) producing food or feed from said transformed plant or from seed of said transformed plant;
• wherein the level of phytate in said plant is reduced in comparison to a control plant.

A plant containing an Lpa1 insertion mutation comprising a Mu element, wherein said Mu element is inserted in the Lpa1 gene in a location selected from the group consisting of:

• a) in exon 1;
• b) at nucleotide 585 in exon 1;
• c) at nucleotide 874 in exon 1;
• d) in exon 11;
• and
• e) at nucleotide 6069 in exon 11.