PROCEDURE FOR PRODUCING TRANSGENIC PLANTS PROVIDING HIGH STARCH CONTENT AND YIELD AND HIGH AMYLOSE/AMYLOPECTIN BALANCE

• Main Authors: ALONSO CASAJUS, NORA, MUNOZ PEREZ, FRANCISCO JOSE, BAROJA FERNANDEZ, MIREN EDURNE, POZUETA ROMERO, FRANCISCO JAVIER
• Format: Patent
• Language: English; French; German
• Published: 15.06.2011
• Subjects: AGRICULTURE; ANIMAL HUSBANDRY; BEER; BIOCHEMISTRY; CHEMISTRY; COMPOSITIONS THEREOF; CULTURE MEDIA; ENZYMOLOGY; FISHING; FORESTRY; HUMAN NECESSITIES; HUNTING; METALLURGY; MICROBIOLOGY; MICROORGANISMS OR ENZYMES; MUTATION OR GENETIC ENGINEERING; NEW PLANTS OR PROCESSES FOR OBTAINING THEM; PLANT REPRODUCTION BY TISSUE CULTURE TECHNIQUES; PROPAGATING, PRESERVING OR MAINTAINING MICROORGANISMS; SPIRITS; TRAPPING; VINEGAR; WINE

A process for the production of transgenic plants that have a high starch content and yield and a high amylose / amylopectin ratio. The alpha-1 ,4-glucan phosphorylases (GPs) catalyze the reversible cutting of bonds ±-1, 4 of the non-reducing ends of homopolysaccharides with at least 5 glucose molecules such as starch, maltodextrin and glycogen, leading to production of glucose-1-phosphate. The GPs in bacteria and animal cells are responsible for the breakdown of glycogen. Although the increase in GP activity leads to a reduction in intracellular levels of glycogen in bacteria and animal cells, this invention discloses the production of plants that have high starch levels and yields and high amylose / amylopectin ratio, as result of the expression of genes coding for GPs.