COMPOSITIONS AND METHODS FOR EXPRESSION OF A HETEROLOGOUS NUCLEOTIDE SEQUENCE IN PLANTS COMPRISING A CHLOROPLAST TARGETING PEPTIDE (CTP)

摘要

The present invention provides compositions and methods for targetingpolypeptides to the chloroplasts of higherplants. Compositions include expression cassettes having a nucleotide sequenceencoding a chloroplast targeting peptide (CTP)operably linked to a nucleotide sequence of interest, wherein the CTP isderived from Chlamydomonas sp. Plant transformationvectors, plants and plant cells having the CTP sequences are also encompassed,as well as variants and fragments of the CTPsequences. Methods for expressing a heterologous nucleotide sequence in aplant using the CTP sequences disclosed herein are alsoprovided.