C3 plants expressing photosynthetic enzyme of C4 plants

Abstract

A C3 plant has a gene for an enzyme involved in a C4 pathway of photosynthesis and expresses the C4 photosynthesis gene at a high level. More specifically, the C3 plant includes DNA which contains (a) an expression control region of a gene for an enzyme involved in a photosynthetic pathway of a phylogenetically related C4 plant and (b) a structural gene for an enzyme involved in a photosynthetic pathway of the C4 plant. The C3 plant expresses the enzyme encoded by the structural gene at a high level.

What is claimed is:  
     
         1 . A C3 plant expressing a gene of a phylogenetically related C4 plant, comprising DNA containing (a) an expression control region of a gene for an enzyme involved in a photosynthetic pathway of a phylogenetically related C4 plant and (b) a structural gene for an enzyme involved in a photosynthetic pathway of the C4 plant, wherein the C3 plant expresses the enzyme encoded by the structural gene at a high level.  
     
     
         2 . A C3 plant according to  claim 1 , wherein the C4 plant is a monocotyledonous plant, and the C3 plant is a monocotyledonous plant.  
     
     
         3 . A C3 plant according to  claim 1 , wherein the C4 plant is a dicotyledonous plant, and the C3 plant is a dicotyledonous plant.  
     
     
         4 . A C3 plant according to  claim 1 , wherein the DNA is a genome gene of the C4 plant.  
     
     
         5 . A C3 plant according to  claim 4 , wherein the genome gene of the C4 plant is a genome gene of a C4 poaceous plant, and the C3 plant is a C3 poaceous plant.  
     
     
         6 . A C3 plant according to  claim 5 , wherein the genome gene of the C4 poaceous plant is a genome gene for phosphoenol pyruvate carboxylase from maize, and the C3 poaceous plant is rice.  
     
     
         7 . A method for producing a C3 plant which expresses a gene of a phylogenetically related C4 plant, comprising the steps of: 
 transforming cells of the C3 plant with DNA containing (a) an expression control region of a gene for an enzyme involved in a photosynthetic pathway of a phylogenetically related C4 plant and (b) a structural gene for an enzyme involved in a photosynthetic pathway of the C4 plant; and    regenerating the transformed cells of the C3 plant into the C3 plant;    wherein the regenerated C3 plant expresses the enzyme encoded by the structural gene at a high level.    
     
     
         8 . A method for producing a C3 plant according to  claim 7 , wherein the C4 plant is a monocotyledonous plant, and the C3 plant is a monocotyledonous plant.  
     
     
         9 . A method for producing a C3 plant according to  claim 7 , wherein the C4 plant is a dicotyledonous plant, and the C3 plant is a dicotyledonous plant.  
     
     
         10 . A method for producing a C3 plant according to  claim 7 , wherein the DNA is a genome gene of the C4 plant.  
     
     
         11 . A method for producing a C3 plant according to  claim 10 , wherein the genome gene of the C4 plant is a genome gene of a C4 poaceous plant, and the C3 plant is a C3 poaceous plant.  
     
     
         12 . A method for producing a C3 plant according to  claim 11 , wherein the genome gene of the C4 poaceous plant is a genome gene for phosphoenol pyruvate carboxylase from maize, and the C3 poaceous plant is rice.  
     
     
         13 . A C3 plant obtainable by a method according to  claim 7 .  
     
     
         14 . A portion of a plant according to  claim 13 , wherein the potion is a vegetable.  
     
     
         15 . A portion of a plant according to  claim 13 , wherein the potion is a fruit.  
     
     
         16 . A portion of a plant according to  claim 13 , wherein the potion is a flower.  
     
     
         17 . A portion of a plant according to  claim 13 , wherein the potion is a seed.  
     
     
         18 . A C3 plant tissue expressing a gene of a phylogenetically related C4 plant, comprising DNA containing (a) an expression control region of a gene for an enzyme involved in a photosynthetic pathway of a phylogenetically related C4 plant and (b) a structural gene for an enzyme involved in a photosynthetic pathway of the C4 plant, wherein the C3 plant tissue expresses the enzyme encoded by the structural gene at a high level.  
     
     
         19 . A C3 plant tissue according to  claim 18 , wherein the C4 plant is a monocotyledonous plant, and the C3 plant tissue is a tissue of a monocotyledonous plant.  
     
     
         20 . A C3 plant tissue according to  claim 18 , wherein the C4 plant is a dicotyledonous plant, and the C3 plant tissue is a tissue of a dicotyledonous plant.  
     
     
         21 . A C3 plant tissue according to  claim 18 , wherein the DNA is a genome gene of the C4 plant.  
     
     
         22 . A C3 plant tissue according to  claim 21 , wherein the genome gene of the C4 plant is a genome gene of a C4 poaceous plant, and the C3 plant tissue is a tissue of a C3 poaceous plant.  
     
     
         23 . A C3 plant tissue according to  claim 22 , wherein the genome gene of the C4 poaceous plant is a genome gene for phosphoenol pyruvate carboxylase from maize, and the C3 poaceous plant is rice.  
     
     
         24 . A method for producing a C3 plant tissue which expresses a gene of a phylogenetically related C4 plant, comprising the steps of: 
 transforming cells of the C3 plant with DNA containing (a) an expression control region of a gene for an enzyme involved in a photosynthetic pathway of a phylogenetically related C4 plant and (b) a structural gene for an enzyme involved in a photosynthetic pathway of the C4 plant; and    regenerating the transformed cells of the C3 plant into the C3 plant tissue;    wherein the regenerated C3 plant tissue expresses the enzyme encoded by the structural gene at a high level.    
     
     
         25 . A method for producing a C3 plant tissue according to  claim 24 , wherein the C4 plant is a monocotyledonous plant, and the C3 plant tissue is a tissue of a monocotyledonous plant.  
     
     
         26 . A method for producing a C3 plant tissue according to  claim 24 , wherein the C4 plant is a dicotyledonous plant, and the C3 plant tissue is a tissue of a dicotyledonous plant.  
     
     
         27 . A method for producing a C3 plant tissue according to  claim 24 , wherein the DNA is a genome gene of the C4 plant.  
     
     
         28 . A method for producing a C3 plant tissue according to  claim 27 , wherein the genome gene of the C4 plant is a genome gene of a C4 poaceous plant, and the C3 plant tissue is a tissue of a C3 poaceous plant.  
     
     
         29 . A method for producing a C3 plant tissue according to  claim 28 , wherein the genome gene of the C4 poaceous plant is a genome gene for phosphoenol pyruvate carboxylase from maize, and the C3 poaceous plant is rice.  
     
     
         30 . A C3 plant seed expressing a gene of a phylogenetically related C4 plant, comprising DNA containing (a) an expression control region of a gene for an enzyme involved in a photosynthetic pathway of a phylogenetically related C4 plant and (b) a structural gene for an enzyme involved in a photosynthetic pathway of the C4 plant, wherein the C3 plant seed expresses, at least upon germination and growing, the enzyme encoded by the structural gene at a high level.  
     
     
         31 . A C3 plant seed according to  claim 30 , wherein the C4 plant is a monocotyledonous plant, and the C3 plant seed is a seed of a monocotyledonous plant.  
     
     
         32 . A C3 plant seed according to  claim 30 , wherein the C4 plant is a dicotyledonous plant, and the C3 plant seed is a seed of a dicotyledonous plant.  
     
     
         33 . A C3 plant seed according to  claim 30 , wherein the DNA containing the expression control region of a gene for the enzyme involved in a photosynthetic pathway of a C4 plant and the structural gene for the enzyme involved in the photosynthetic pathway of the C4 plant is a genome gene of the C4 plant.  
     
     
         34 . A C3 plant seed according to  claim 33 , wherein the genome gene of the C4 plant is a genome gene of a C4 poaceous plant, and the C3 plant seed is a seed of a C3 poaceous plant.  
     
     
         35 . A C3 plant seed according to  claim 34 , wherein the genome gene of the C4 poaceous plant is a genome gene for phosphoenol pyruvate carboxylase from maize and the C3 poaceous plant is rice.  
     
     
         36 . A method for producing a C3 plant seed which expresses a gene of a phylogenetically related C4 plant, comprising the steps of: 
 transforming cells of the C3 plant with DNA containing (a) an expression control region of a gene for an enzyme involved in a photosynthetic pathway of a phylogenetically related C4 plant and (b) a structural gene for an enzyme involved in a photosynthetic pathway of the C4 plant;    regenerating the transformed cells of the C3 plant into the C3 plant; and    obtaining a seed from the C3 plant;    wherein the C3 plant seed expresses, at least upon germination and growing, the enzyme encoded by the structural gene at a high level.    
     
     
         37 . A method for producing a C3 plant seed according to  claim 36 , wherein the C4 plant is a monocotyledonous plant, and the C3 plant seed is a seed of a monocotyledonous plant.  
     
     
         38 . A method for producing a C3 plant seed according to  claim 36 , wherein the C4 plant is a dicotyledonous plant, and the C3 plant seed is a seed of a dicotyledonous plant.  
     
     
         39 . A method for producing a C3 plant seed according to  claim 36 , wherein the DNA is a genome gene of the C4 plant.  
     
     
         40 . A method for producing a C3 plant seed according to  claim 39 , wherein the genome gene of the C4 plant is a genome gene of a C4 poaceous plant, and the C3 plant seed is a seed of a C3 poaceous plant.  
     
     
         41 . A method for producing a C3 plant seed according to  claim 40 , wherein the genome gene of the C4 plant is a genome gene for phosphoenol pyruvate carboxylase from maize, and the C3 poaceous plant is rice.