Maize nucleotide sequence coding for a protein with transglutaminase activity and use thereof

Abstract

The invention relates to a DNA molecule from maize which codes for a protein with TGase activity and to a gene expression vector comprising said DNA molecule. The invention also relates to the use of the aforementioned DNA molecule or vector in order to produce transformed cells capable of expressing recombinant proteins with TGase activity and to introduce the sequence encoding for a protein with TGase activity into plant cells. In addition, the invention relates to the resulting transgenic plants and cells of microorganisms. Furthermore, the proteins with TGase activity expressed from the above-mentioned DNA sequences can be used, for example, in food manipulation, processing and transformation.

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         7 . A protein with TGase activity encoded by a nucleotide sequence according to  claim 1 . 
     
     
         8 . A with TGase activity according to  claim 7  wherein it belongs, among others, to the following group: SEQ ID NO 2 and SEQ ID NO 4. 
     
     
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         11 . A method for food manipulation, processing and transformation, among other processes, in order to keep or improve the texture, consistency, elasticity, moisture or viscosity of foods such as fish, cheese, yogurts, ice cream, mayonnaise and meat, for the forming of gelatin with a different density and for preparing precooked foods with less fat, comprising using a protein with TGase activity encoded by a nucleotide of  claim 1 . 
     
     
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         16 . A method for food manipulation, processing and transformation, among other processes, in order to keep or improve the texture, consistency, elasticity, moisture or viscosity of foods such as fish, cheese, yogurts, ice cream, mayonnaise and meat, for the forming of gelatin with a different density and for preparing precooked foods with less fat, comprising using a protein with TGase activity, wherein said protein is comprised of a material selected from the group consisting of SEQ ID NO 2 and SEQ ID NO 4. 
     
     
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