Method for increasing the sugar and starch content in plants - by a vector including transcription regulatory sequences and a cDNA fragment from Poty virus for inclusion proteins

摘要

Claimed is a method for increasing the sugar and starch content of plants by (a) producing a construct combining constitutive or tissue specific transcription regulatory signals with a cDNA fragment of a Poty virus encoding the cytoplasmic inclusion protein CI or nucleic inclusion proteins NIa or NIb and (b) plant transformation with (a). Pref. the construct is stably integrated into the plant genome by (i) transformation using Agrobacterium, (ii) particle gun bombardment, (iii) naked DNA transfer. By depositing specific proteins as inclusion bodies in plants, the content of free amino acids is lowered and the influx of saccharose is increased. This is partic. important for sugar beet where free amino acids inhibit the quantitative crystallisation of the sugar. USE/ADVANTAGE - An increase in the starch and sugar content of plants increases their value as food. It may be used in sugar-storing plants, starch-storing plants and in grains. The method is independent of the plant species.