Modified plants

Abstract

A method for controlling endosperm size and development in plants. The method employs nucleic acid constructs encoding proteins involved in genomic imprinting, in the production of transgenic plants. The nucleic acid constructs can be used in the production of transgenic plants to affect interspecific hybridisation.

1 . An isolated nucleic acid comprising a promoter that targets expression to female germ line cells operatively linked to a sequence whose transcription product comprises a partial or full-length  Arabidopsis  DNA methyltransferase 1 (Met1) sequence.  
     
     
         2 . The use of a nucleic acid molecule as claimed in  claim 1  as a barrier to hybridization between plants.  
     
     
         3 . The use as claimed in  claim 2  wherein the plants are of the same species.  
     
     
         4 . The use as claimed in  claim 3  wherein the barrier results from failure in endosperm development.  
     
     
         5 . The nucleic acid molecule of  claim 1  which is in the form of a vector.  
     
     
         6 . A plant cell including the nucleic acid of  claim 1 .  
     
     
         7 . A transgenic plant including the nucleic acid of  claim 1.