Patent ID: 7572952
Filing Date: 2009-08-11
Classification: C12N

Abstract:
1. A transgenic plant which has an altered profile of tocopherols in its seeds or oils compared to non-transgenic plants of the same species wherein said plant has been transformed to contain a heterologous genetic construct comprising a plant γ-tocopherol methyltransferase coding sequence, wherein the coding sequence encodes the expression of a γ-tocopherol methyltransferase protein that (1) has at least two SAM binding domain consusensus sequences; that (2) when aligned with SEQ ID NO: 4 has amino acid sequences corresponding to the following motifs in SEQ ID NO: 4: WGDHMHHG at residues 79-86, GCGIGGS at residues 134-141, ESGEHMP at residues 202-208, and TWCHR at residues 231-235; and that (3) will increase the level of α-tocopherol present in a plant when expressed in a plant.