ENHANCED CAROTENOID ACCUMULATION IN STORAGE ORGANS OF GENETICALLY ENGINEERED PLANTS

摘要

A transgenic higher plant, seed containing the transgene, and methods ofproviding enhanced carotenoid accumulation are disclosed.The transgenic higher plant has a genomic structural gene that encodes achimeric polypeptide conjugate and over accumulates a colorednative carotenoid in a preselected storage organ relative to the accumulationin a non-transgenic plant of the same type. Expression of thechimeric polypeptide is driven by a promoter operatively linked to thatstructural gene that provides storage organ-enhanced expression.The chimeric polypeptide has an N-terminal plastid transit peptide portionwhose C-terminus is linked to the N-terminus of a non-higherplant phytoene synthase enzyme.