Nucleic acid fragments encoding isoflavone synthase

Abstract

This invention relates to an isolated nucleic acid sequence encoding isoflavone synthase. The invention also relates to the construction of chimeric sequences encoding all or a substantial portion of the enzymes, in sense or antisense orientation, wherein expression of the chimeric sequence results in production of altered levels of the enzyme in a transformed host cell.

1 - 19 . (canceled)  
     
     
         20 . A plant comprising in its genome a chimeric polynucleotide comprising an isolated nucleic acid sequence encoding a polypeptide with isoflavone synthase activity having the amino acid sequence set forth in SEQ ID NO:66 wherein said chimeric polynucleotide is operably linked to at least one regulatory sequence.  
     
     
         21 . The plant of  claim 20  further comprising in its genome a second chimeric sequence comprising a nucleic acid sequence encoding a polypeptide that regulates expression of at least one enzyme of the phenylpropanoid pathway.  
     
     
         22 . The plant of  claim 20  wherein the plant is a soybean plant.  
     
     
         23 . The plant of  claim 20  wherein the plant is a corn plant.  
     
     
         24 . A seed from the plant of  claim 20 .  
     
     
         25 . A seed from the plant of  claim 21 .  
     
     
         26 - 33 . (canceled)  
     
     
         34 . A method of producing a plant with increased isoflavonoid content comprising 
 (a) transforming a plant cell with a first chimeric polynucleotide comprising an isolated nucleic acid sequence encoding a polypeptide with isoflavone synthase activity having the amino acid sequence set forth in SEQ ID NO:66;    (b) optionally transforming the plant cell with a second chimeric sequence comprising a nucleic acid sequence encoding a polypeptide that regulates expression of at least one enzyme of the phenylpropanoid pathway; and    (c) growing the transformed plant cell under conditions that promote the regeneration of a whole plant from the transformed cell    wherein the transformed plant regenerated from the transformed cell produces an amount of an isoflavonoid that is greater than the amount of the isoflavonoid that is produced in a plant that is regenerated from a plant cell that is not transformed with the chimeric polynucleotide of part (a).    
     
     
         35 . The method of  claim 34  wherein the plant is a soybean plant.  
     
     
         36 . The method of  claim 34  wherein the plant is a corn plant.  
     
     
         37 . The transgenic plant produced by the method of  claim 34 .  
     
     
         38 . The transgenic plant of  claim 37  wherein the plant is a soybean plant.  
     
     
         39 . The transgenic plant of  claim 37  wherein the plant is a corn plant.  
     
     
         40 . A seed from the plant of  claim 37 .  
     
     
         41 - 50 . (canceled)