Methods for Improving Seed Characteristics

Abstract

Methods are provided for altering grain characteristics by introducing into plants, isolated nucleic acid molecules that can be used to produce transgenic plants characterized by altered number, type, or configuration of aleurone cells within the seed. Also provided are isolated nucleic acids that encode maize superal proteins, vectors capable of expressing such nucleic acid molecules, host cells containing such vectors, and polypeptides encoded by such nucleic acids.

1 . An isolated polynucleotide comprising a member selected from the group consisting of: 
 (a) a polynucleotide encoding a polypeptide having at least 80% sequence identity to SEQ ID NO:6; wherein the % sequence identity is determined over the entire length of the coding sequence by the GAP algorithm using default parameters and wherein expression of the polynucleotide alters the number or configuration of aleurone cells in a seed;    (b) a polynucleotide which encodes a polypeptide of SEQ ID NO:6;    (c) a polynucleotide comprising SEQ ID NO:5; and    (d) a polynucleotide fragment which is a functional equivalent to a polynucleotide of (a) through (c ) wherein expression of the polynucleotide alters the number or configuration of aleurone cells in a seed.    
     
     
         2 . An expression cassette comprising at least one polynucleotide of  claim 1  operably linked to a promoter.  
     
     
         3 . The expression cassette of  claim 2  further comprising any combination of additional polynucleotide sequences of interest.  
     
     
         4 . A transformed plant cell containing at least one polynucleotide of  claim 1 .  
     
     
         5 . The transformed plant cell of  claim 4 , wherein the plant is corn, barley, soybean, sorghum, wheat, rice, alfalfa, safflower, sunflower, canola, cotton, or millet.  
     
     
         6 . A transformed plant comprising at least one polynucleotide of  claim 1 .  
     
     
         7 . The transformed plant of  claim 6 , wherein the plant is corn, barley, soybean, sorghum, wheat, rice, alfalfa, safflower, sunflower, canola, cotton, or millet.  
     
     
         8 . A transformed seed from the transformed plant of  claim 6 .  
     
     
         9 . A method for altering maize seed characteristics, the method comprising: 
 (a) introducing into a maize plant cell the recombinant expression cassette of  claim 2;     (b) culturing the plant cell under plant forming conditions to produce a plant; and,    (c) expressing the polynucleotide to alter the seed characteristics of the plant.    
     
     
         10 . The method of  claim 9  wherein the expression cassette further comprises any combination of additional polynucleotide sequences of interest.  
     
     
         11 . The method of  claim 10  wherein the additional polynucleotide is maize cr4 (crinkly 4).  
     
     
         12 . A transgenic plant produced by the method of  claim 9 .  
     
     
         13 . A transgenic seed produced by the transgenic plant of  claim 12 .  
     
     
         14 . A method for increasing oil content of maize seeds, the method comprising: 
 (a) introducing into a maize plant cell the recombinant expression cassette of  claim 2;     (b) culturing the plant cell under plant forming conditions to produce a plant; and,    (c) expressing the polynucleotide to increase the oil content in the seeds of the plant.    
     
     
         15 . The method of  claim 14  wherein the expression cassette further comprises any combination of additional polynucleotide sequences of interest.  
     
     
         16 . The method of  claim 15  wherein the additional polynucleotide is maize cr4 (crinkly 4).  
     
     
         17 . A transgenic plant produced by the method of  claim 14 .  
     
     
         18 . A transgenic seed produced by the transgenic plant of  claim 17.