Compositions and methods for altering the disulfide status of proteins

A method for improving the digestibility of grain, said method comprising transforming a plant with a first nucleotide construct comprising a first promoter that drives expression in a plant cell operably linked to a first nucleotide sequence and a second nucleotide construct comprising a second promoter that drives expression in a plant cell operably linked to a second nucleotide sequence,

• wherein said first nucleotide sequence encodes an NADPH-thioredoxin reductase, said second nucleotide sequence encodes a thioredoxin h, and said first nucleotide sequence is selected from the group consisting of:
• a) the nucleotide sequence set forth in SEQ ID NO:
• 24;
• b) a nucleotide sequence encoding the amino acid sequence set forth in SEQ ID NO:
• 25;
• c) a nucleotide sequence having at least 95% sequence identity to the coding sequence of the nucleotide sequence set forth in SEQ ID NO:
• 24, wherein said nucleotide sequence encodes a polypeptide comprising NADPH-thioredoxin reductase activity;
• d) a nucleotide sequence that hybridizes under stringent conditions to the complement or the nucleotide sequence set forth in SEQ ID NO:
• 24, wherein said nucleotide sequence encodes a polypeptide comprising NADPH-thioredoxin reductase activity, and wherein said stringent conditions comprise hybridization at 37° C. in a solution comprising in 50% formamide, 1 M NaCl, and 1% SDS, and at least one wash at 60° C. in a solution comprising 0.1×SSC;
• and
• e) a nucleotide sequence that is complementary to the nucleotide sequence of a), b), c), or d);
• wherein said digestibility of said grain is increased when consumed by an animal.

A method for improving grain for processing, said method comprising transforming a plant with a first nucleotide construct comprising a first promoter that drives expression in a plant cell operably linked to a first nucleotide sequence and a second nucleotide construct comprising a second promoter that drives expression in a plant cell operably linked to a second nucleotide sequence,

• wherein said first nucleotide sequence encodes an NADPH-thioredoxin reductase, said second nucleotide sequence encodes a thioredoxin h, and said first nucleotide sequence is selected from the group consisting of:
• a) the nucleotide sequence set forth in SEQ ID NO:
• 24;
• b) a nucleotide sequence encoding the amino acid sequence set forth in SEQ ID NO:
• 25;
• c) a nucleotide sequence having at least 95% sequence identity to the coding sequence of the nucleotide sequence set forth in SEQ ID NO:
• 24, wherein said nucleotide sequence encodes a polypeptide comprising NADPH-thioredoxin reductase activity;
• d) a nucleotide sequence that hybridizes tinder stringent conditions to the complement of the nucleotide sequence sot forth in SEQ ID NO:
• 24, wherein said nucleotide sequence encodes a polypeptide comprising NADPH-thioredoxin reductase activity, and wherein said stringent conditions comprise hybridization at 37° C. in a solution comprising in 50% formamide, 1 M NaCl, and 1% SDS, and at least one wash at 60° C. in a solution comprising 0.1×SSC;
• and
• e) a nucleotide sequence that is complementary to the nucleotide sequence of a), b), c), or d);
• wherein said grain is improved for processing.

A transformed plant comprising stably incorporated in its genome a first nucleotide construct comprising a first promoter that drives expression in a plant cell operably linked to a first nucleotide sequence and a second nucleotide construct comprising a second promoter that drives expression in a plant cell operably linked to a second nucleotide sequence,

• wherein said first nucleotide sequence encodes an NADPH-thioredoxin reductase, said second nucleotide sequence encodes a thioredoxin h, and said first nucleotide sequence is selected from the group consisting of:
• a) the nucleotide sequence set forth in SEQ ID NO:
• 24;
• b) a nucleotide sequence encoding the amino acid sequence set forth in SEQ ID NO:
• 25;
• c) a nucleotide sequence having at least 95% sequence identity to the coding sequence of the nucleotide sequence set forth in SEQ ID NO:
• 24, wherein said nucleotide sequence encodes a polypeptide comprising NADPH-thioredoxin reductase activity;
• d) a nucleotide sequence that hybridizes under stringent conditions to the complement of the nucleotide sequence set forth in SEQ ID NO:
• 24, wherein said nucleotide sequence encodes a polypeptide comprising NADPH-thioredoxin reductase activity, and wherein said stringent conditions comprise hybridization at 37° C. in a solution comprising in 50% formamide, 1 M NaCl, and 1% SDS, and at least one wash at 60° C. in a solution comprising 0.1×SSC;
• and
• e) a nucleotide sequence that is complementary to the nucleotide sequence of a), b), c), or d).