HIGH SULFUR SEED PROTEIN GENE AND METHOD FOR INCREASING THE SULFUR AMINO ACID CONTENT OF PLANTS

摘要

There is provided a novel nucleic acid fragment forthe overexpression of a high methionine seed storageprotein in plants. This nucleic acid fragment is capableof transforming plants, particularly crop plants, tooverexpress a corn seed storage protein in seeds orleaves. The invention is of significant interest for thenutritional improvement of sulfur amino acid-poor plants,such as corn and soybean. There is also provided thepolypeptide product of the nucleic acid fragments as wellas chimeric genes, host cells, plants, seeds andmicroorganisms containing the nucleic acid fragment.Methods for obtaining the overexpression of the seedstorage protein in microorganisms are also provided.