Methods to improve crops through increased accumulation of methionine
AssigneePlant Sensory Systems, LLC
InventorsMichelle B. PRICE, Frank J. TURANO, Kathleen A. TURANO
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Abstract
The present invention describes an alternative approach to increase methionine (Met) production in eukaryotes, namely by the insertion of components of a sulfur-metabolic pathway in organisms where the pathway does not exist or has not clearly been identified. The invention describes methods for the use of polynucleotides that encode functional cysteine dioxygenase (CDO) alone or CDO and sulfinoalanine decarboxylase (SAD) polypeptides in plants to increase Met production. The preferred embodiment of the invention is in plants but other organisms may be used. Changes in Met availability will improve nutritional value of the crop.
Claims20
A cell of a photosynthetic organism, an algae or a plant comprising either:
- (a) two expression units, wherein
- (i) a first expression unit comprises a first promoter operably linked to a first nucleic acid comprising (a) a first polynucleotide which encodes a plastid transit peptide operatively linked to (b) a second polynucleotide which encodes cysteine dioxygenase (CDO);
- and
- (ii) a second expression unit comprises a second promoter operably linked to a second nucleic acid comprising (a) a third polynucleotide which encodes a plastid transit peptide operatively linked to (b) a fourth polynucleotide which encodes sulfinoalanine decarboxylase (SAD);
- or
- (b) a single expression unit comprising a third promoter operably linked to a third nucleic acid comprising (a) a fifth polynucleotide which encodes a plastid transit peptide operatively linked to (b) a sixth polynucleotide which encodes either CDO or CDO fused to SAD,
- wherein the cell has an increased level of Methionine compared to a cell not comprising the expression units.
A method for producing Methionine in a photosynthetic organism, an algae or a plant, comprising
- incorporating into a cell of a photosynthetic organism, an algae or a plant either:
- (a) two expression units, wherein
- (i) a first expression unit comprises a first promoter operably linked to a first nucleic acid comprising (a) a first polynucleotide which encodes a plastid transit peptide operatively linked to (b) a second polynucleotide which encodes cysteine dioxygenase (CDO);
- and
- (ii) a second expression unit comprises a second promoter operably linked to a second nucleic acid comprising (a) a third polynucleotide which encodes a plastid transit peptide operatively linked to (b) a fourth polynucleotide which encodes sulfinoalanine decarboxylase (SAD);
- or
- (b) a single expression unit comprising a third promoter operably linked to a third nucleic acid comprising (a) a fifth polynucleotide which encodes a plastid transit peptide operatively linked to (b) a sixth polynucleotide which encodes either CDO or CDO fused to SAD and
- growing the cell under suitable conditions to produce Methionine,
- wherein the cell has an increased level of Methionine compared to a cell not comprising the expression units.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.