University of Florida Research Foundation Inc

Research Corporation Technologies, Inc.

Robert J Ferl

L Curtis Hannah

Vimla Vasil

Indra K Vasil

Paul C Sehnke

Ke Wu

Hwa Jee Chung

Maureen A Clancy

The subject invention concerns materials and methods for enhancing starch production in plants. Starch production is enhanced, relative to levels observed in wildtype or control plants, by reduction of the plant 14-3-3 protein(s) which subsequently results in increased accumulation of starch in the plant. In one embodiment, the 14-3-3 protein expression is reduced using polynucleotides that are antisense to the 14-3-3 gene sequences expressed in the plant. In another embodiment, the 14-3-3 protein expression is reduced by 'knockout' of a 14-3-3 gene or gene sequences. The subject invention also pertains to transformed and transgenic plants that have polynucleotides that are antisense to the 14-3-3 gene sequences expressed in the plant, wherein the transformed and transgenic plants exhibit enhanced starch production. The subject invention also pertains to 'knockout' plants in which the normal functional 14-3-3 gene in the plant is deleted or replaced with a non-functional form of the gene. The subject invention also concerns the &#x201c;antisense&#x201d; polynucleotides of the invention that when introduced into a plant cell can function to effectively reduce expression of the 14-3-3 proteins in a plant.

Plants with enhanced ability to produce starch and methods for obtaining them

The present invention provides a novel means for enhancing the expression of genes by the use of the first intron of the Zea mays Sh1 cDNA, functional sequences derived therefrom and/or sequences flanking the first Sh1 intron, placed between the transcription start site and the translation start site of the coding sequence for enhanced expression is sought. The DNA sequences provided herein can be used, for example, to increase protein expression in engineered plant cells or in transgenic plants.

Means for enhancing gene expression

Growing community of inventors

Gainesville, FL, United States of America

Robert J Ferl