Transgenic plants with tocopherol methyltransferase

Abstract

Disclosed is are gene sequences encoding γ-tocopherol methyltransferases from photosynthetic organisms. The enzyme γ-tocopherol methyltransferase catalyzes the methylation of γ-tocopherol to yield α-tocopherol, the most bioactive species of tocopherol. γ-tocopherol methyltransferase is believed to be involved in regulating the relative amounts of the various tocopherols present in photosynthetic organisms. By introducing a genetic construct having a γ-tocopherol methyltransferase coding sequence placed under the control of a plant promoter into a plant, transgenic plants can be made having altered γ-tocopherol methyltransferase expression, to effect dramatic changes in the tocopherol profile of the plant. Transgenic plants can be made that have α-tocopherol as the predominant tocopherol in their seeds and oils.

1 - 12 . (canceled) 
     
     
         13 . A transgenic plant altered to overexpress γ-tocopherol methyltransferase and thereby produce an enhanced amount of α-tocopherol relative to a non-transgenic plant as the most abundant tocopherol in the seeds of the plant. 
     
     
         14 . Seeds of the plant of  claim 13 . 
     
     
         15 . Oil from the seeds of  claim 14 . 
     
     
         16 . A transgenic plant as claimed in  claim 13  wherein the transgenic plant carries in its genome a foreign genetic construction comprising a γ-tocopherol methyltransferase gene selected from the group consisting of SEQ ID NO: 1 and SEQ ID NO: 3. 
     
     
         17 . A transgenic plant which has an altered profile of tocopherols in its seeds or oils compared to non-transgenic plants of the same species. 
     
     
         18 . Seed of the plant of  claim 17 . 
     
     
         19 . Oil from the seeds of  claim 18 . 
     
     
         20 . A transgenic plant seed of a plant species in which α-tocopherol is natively not the predominant tocopherol in seeds, the transgenic plant seed containing α-tocopherol as the most abundant tocopherol present in the transgenic plant seed. 
     
     
         21 . Oil from the seed of  claim 20 . 
     
     
         22 . The transgenic plant of  claim 13 , wherein the transgenic plant is a species in which natively α-tocopherol is not the predominant tocopherol in its seeds.