Synthetic genes

A synthetic DNA sequence for expressing a protein of interest in maize cells which comprises:

• a) a codon-optimized DNA sequence encoding the protein of interest, and
• b) at least one polyadenylation signal sequence chosen from the group consisting of Class I and Class II;
• wherein
• Class I is chosen from the group consisting of AATAAA, AATAAT, AACCAA, ATATAA, AATCAA, ATACTA, ATAAAA, ATGAAA, AAGCAT, ATTAAT, ATACAT, AAAATA, ATTAAA, AATTAA, AATACA, and CATAAA;
• and
• Class II is chosen from the group consisting of ATATAT, TTGTTT, TTTTGT, TGTTTT, TATATA, TATTTT, TATTTT, TTTTTT, ATTTT, TTATTT, TTTATT, TAATAA, ATTTAT, TATATT, TITTAT, ATATTT, TATTAT, TGTTTG, TTATAT, TGTAAT, and AAATAA;
• and
• wherein said codon-optimized DNA sequence contains at least one polyadenylation signal sequence from Class II and wherein said synthetic DNA sequence contains fewer Class II polyadenylation signal sequences than the protein's native DNA sequence and contains the same number of class I polyadenylation signal sequences compared to said native DNA sequence and wherein the synthetic DNA sequence comprises a sequence selected from the group consisting of SEQ ID NO:5, SEQ ID NO:
• 11, SEQ ID NO:
• 17, SEQ ID NO:23, SEQ ID NO:29, SEQ ID NO:35, SEQ ID NO:41, SEQ ID NO:47, SEQ ID NO:53, SEQ ID NO:59, SEQ ID NO:65, and SEQ ID NO:71.