NON-TRANSGENIC PLANTS WITH MUTATED GLUTAMATE DECARBOXLASES FOR AGRONOMIC BENEFITS

摘要

The present invention describes a non-transgenic approach to produce truncated glutamate decarboxylase (GAD) genes and the corresponding truncated gene product in plants. More particularly, the invention relates to the removal of the calcium-calmodulin binding domain (CaM-BD) from plant GADs using site-directed mutagenesis or gene-editing techniques. The removal of the CaM-BD from plant GADs results in an active GAD enzyme that is not regulated by the CaM-BD, which increases gamma aminobutyric acid (GABA) production in plant cells, organs or whole plants. Non-transgenic plants with truncated GAD have agronomic benefits, including increased GABA, biomass, yield, sugar, and tolerance to abiotic and biotic stressors. In addition, GABA from plants could be used as nutraceutical, pharmaceutical, or therapeutic compounds or as a supplement in animal feed or for animal feed or as an enhancer for plant growth or yield.