The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document.
The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge covers the following: Patent number, Date patent was issued, Date patent was filed, Title of the patent, Applicant, Inventor, Assignee, Attorney firm, Primary examiner, Assistant examiner, CPCs, and Abstract. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document (in Adobe Acrobat format, aka pdf). To download or print any patent click here.
Patent No.:
Date of Patent:
Dec. 07, 1999
Filed:
Jun. 04, 1997
Lawrence Michael Kawchuk, Coaldale, CA;
John David Armstrong, Lethbridge, CA;
Dermot Roborg Lynch, Lethbridge, CA;
Norman Richard Knowles, Edmonton, CA;
Her Majesty the Queen in right of Canada as represented by the, , US;
Agri-Food Canada, Lethbridge, CA;
Abstract
Potato plants which exhibit reduced levels of .alpha. glucan L-type tuber phosphorylase (GLTP) or .alpha. glucan H-type tuber phosphorylase (GHTP) enzyme activity within the potato tuber are provided. The conversion of starches to sugars in potato tubers, particularly when stored at temperatures below 7.degree. C., is reduced in tubers exhibiting reduced GLTP or GHTP enzyme activity. Reducing cold-sweetening in potatoes allows for potato storage at cooler temperatures, resulting in prolonged dormancy, reduced incidence of disease, and increased storage life. Methods for producing potato plants which produce tubers exhibiting reduced GLTP or GHTP enzyme activity are also provided. Reduction of GLTP or GHTP activity within the potato tuber may be accomplished by such techniques as suppression of gene expression using homologous antisense RNA, the use of co-suppression, regulatory silencing sequences, chemical and protein inhibitors, or the use of site-directed mutagenesis or the isolation of alternative alleles to obtain GLTP or GHTP variants with reduced starch affinity or activity.