Enhancement of the methionine content of seed proteins by the expression of a chimeric gene encoding a methionine-rich protein in transgenic plants

We have constructed a chimeric gene encoding a Brazil nut methionine-rich seed protein which contains 18% methionine. This gene has been transferred to tobacco and expressed in the developing seeds. Tobacco seeds are able to process the methionine-rich protein efficiently from a larger precursor pol...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Plant molecular biology 1989-11, Vol.13 (5), p.513-522
Main Authors: Altenbach, S.B. (Plant Cell Research Inst., Dublin, CA (USA)), Pearson, K.W, Meeker, G, Staraci, L.C, Sun, S.S.M
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Agronomy. Soil science and plant productions
Amino Acids - analysis
BERTHOLLETIA EXCELSA
Biological and medical sciences
BREEDING AIMS
CODE GENETIQUE
CODIGO GENETICO
CONTENIDO PROTEICO
Fundamental and applied biological sciences. Psychology
Gene Expression
GENE TRANSFER
GENETIC CODE
Genetic engineering applications
Genetic Vectors
Genetics and breeding of economic plants
GRAINE
METHIONINE
Methionine - genetics
Methionine - metabolism
METIONINA
Molecular and cellular biology
Molecular genetics
NUTRITIVE VALUE
OBJECTIF DE L'AMELIORATION
OBJETIVO DE MEJORAMIENTO
Plant breeding: fundamental aspects and methodology
Plant Proteins - chemistry
Plant Proteins - genetics
Plant Proteins - metabolism
Plants - genetics
Plants - metabolism
PROTEIN CONTENT
Recombinant Proteins - genetics
Recombinant Proteins - metabolism
SEEDS
SEMILLA
TENEUR EN PROTEINES
Transfection
TRANSFERENCIA DE GENES
TRANSFERT DE GENE
VALEUR NUTRITIVE
VALOR NUTRITIVO
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Summary:We have constructed a chimeric gene encoding a Brazil nut methionine-rich seed protein which contains 18% methionine. This gene has been transferred to tobacco and expressed in the developing seeds. Tobacco seeds are able to process the methionine-rich protein efficiently from a larger precursor polypeptide of 17 kDa to the 9 kDa and 3 kDa subunits of the mature protein, a procedure which involves three proteolytic cleavage steps in the Brazil nut seed. The accumulation of the methionine-rich protein in the seeds of tobacco results in a significant increase (30%) in the levels of the methionine in the seed proteins of the transgenic plants. Our data indicate that the introduction of a chimeric gene encoding a methionine-rich seed protein into crop plants, particularly legumes whose seeds are deficient in the essential sulfur-containing amino acids, represents a feasible method for improving the nutritional quality of seed proteins.
ISSN:0167-4412
1573-5028
DOI:10.1007/bf00027311