MEANS AND METHODS OF PRODUCING FRUITS WITH HIGH LEVELS OF ANTHOCYANINS AND FLAVONOLS

• Main Authors: LEVIN ILAN, TADMOR YAAKOV, SAPIR MAYA, OREN-SHAMIR MICHAL, REUVENI MOSHE
• Format: Patent
• Language: English
• Published: 05.08.2010
• Subjects: AGRICULTURE; ANIMAL HUSBANDRY; BEER; BIOCHEMISTRY; CHEMISTRY; COMPOSITIONS OR TEST PAPERS THEREFOR; COMPOSITIONS THEREOF; CONDITION-RESPONSIVE CONTROL IN MICROBIOLOGICAL ORENZYMOLOGICAL PROCESSES; CULTURE MEDIA; DERIVATIVES THEREOF; ENZYMOLOGY; FISHING; FORESTRY; HUMAN NECESSITIES; HUNTING; MEASURING OR TESTING PROCESSES INVOLVING ENZYMES, NUCLEICACIDS OR MICROORGANISMS; METALLURGY; MICROBIOLOGY; MICROORGANISMS OR ENZYMES; MUTATION OR GENETIC ENGINEERING; NEW PLANTS OR PROCESSES FOR OBTAINING THEM; NUCLEIC ACIDS; NUCLEOSIDES; NUCLEOTIDES; ORGANIC CHEMISTRY; PLANT REPRODUCTION BY TISSUE CULTURE TECHNIQUES; PROCESSES OF PREPARING SUCH COMPOSITIONS; PROPAGATING, PRESERVING OR MAINTAINING MICROORGANISMS; SPIRITS; SUGARS; TRAPPING; VINEGAR; WINE

The invention includes means and methods for providing an AFT gene encoding a protein characterized by at least 80% identity with the amino acid sequence shown in FIG. 9 (LA1996; SEQ ID NO:37) having been genetically introgressed into cultivated tomato plants or elite lines. The AFT gene confers higher concentrations of flavonoids to the plants compared with prior art cultivated plants that were not introgressed with the gene. An AFT S. chilense genotype introgressively-derived tomato plant is disclosed. Transgenic plants expressing metabolites of the flavonoid pathway, especially anthocyanin or flavonols, in plants, plant parts or seeds thereof, carrying particular DNA sequences recombinable into a plurality of one or more transformation and/or expression vectors, useful for transformation and/or expression in plants are disclosed. Methods of obtaining same are disclosed.