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Enhancement of the methionine content of seed proteins by the expression of a chimeric gene encoding a methionine-rich protein in transgenic plants.
- Source :
- Plant Molecular Biology; Nov1989, Vol. 13 Issue 5, p513-522, 10p
- Publication Year :
- 1989
-
Abstract
- 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 9kDa 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. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]
Details
- Language :
- English
- ISSN :
- 01674412
- Volume :
- 13
- Issue :
- 5
- Database :
- Complementary Index
- Journal :
- Plant Molecular Biology
- Publication Type :
- Academic Journal
- Accession number :
- 71459866
- Full Text :
- https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00027311