Bayer Cropscience Ag

Wageningen Universiteit

Cooperatieve Verkoop-en Productievereniging Van Aardappelmeel En Derivaten Avebe B.a.

Jean-Paul Vincken

Claus Frohberg

Richard G F Visser

Geraldine Kok-Jacon

Luc C J M Suurs

Richard Gerardus F Visser

The present invention relates to plant cells and plants, which are genetically modified, wherein the genetic modification leads to the expression in plastids of such plant cells and plants of an enzyme having the activity of a mutansucrase. Furthermore, the present invention relates to means and methods for the manufacture of such plant cells and plants. Plant cells and plants of this type synthesise a modified starch. The present invention therefore also relates to the starch synthesised by the plant cells and plants according to the invention as well as to methods for the manufacture of the starch and to the manufacture of starch derivatives of this modified starch.

Transformed plant expressing a mutansucrase and synthesizing a modified starch

The present invention relates to plant cells and plants, which are genetically modified, wherein the genetic modification leads to the expression in plastids of such plant cells and plants of an enzyme having the activity of a dextransucrase. Furthermore, the present invention relates to means and methods for the manufacture of such plant cells and plants. Plant cells and plants of this type synthesis a modified starch. The present invention therefore also relates to the starch synthesized by the plant cells and plants according to the invention as well as to methods for the manufacture of the starch and to the manufacture of starch derivatives of this modified starch.

Transformed plant expressing a dextransucrase and synthesizing a modified starch

The invention relates to a method for expressing a desired protein or polypeptide in a plant, in which the protein or polypeptide is expressed as a fusion with at least one starch binding domain. The plant is preferably a plant that contains or produces starch or starch granules in at least one of its parts, such as potato, sweet potato, cassava, pea, taro, sago, yam, banana and/or cereals such as rice, maize, wheat and barley. The protein or polypeptide can be an enzyme, in particular an enzyme that can convert, modify, alter, degrade or otherwise influence starch (granules); or can be a receptor or a structural protein. The invention further relates to the fusions thus obtained, to genetic constructs that encode the above fusions and to plants transformed with said constructs. The method of the invention can in particular be used to provide modified starches and/or to provide complexes of starch (granules) and the above fusions. In another embodiment, one or more starch binding domains are expressed in a plant, to provide a plant producing modified starches.

Expression in plants of starch binding domains and/or of protein-fusions containing starch binding domains

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Renkum, Netherlands

Jean-Paul Vincken