PROCESS OF RAISING SQUALENE LEVELS IN PLANTS AND DNA SEQUENCES USED THEREFOR

摘要

The invention provides DNA that can be introduced into the genomes of plants to produce genetically-modified plants having higher levels of squalene than the natural plants. The DNA corresponds to squalene epoxidase gene of the same or a related plant, and may have the sequence as shown by SEQ ID NO:1, SEQ ID NO:3, SEQ ID NO:5, SEQ ID NO:9 or SEQ ID NO:11; or a part of such a sequence or a sequence having at least 60 % homology with such a sequence. The DNA is introduced into the genome in a way that results in down-regulation of an exogenous plant squalene epoxidase gene to suppress the expression of squalene epoxidase. The invention also relates to a process of producing genetically-modified plants, plasmids and vectors used in the method, genetically-modified plants and seeds thereof, and a method of producing squalene from the modified plants.