Patent ID: 7223909

Claim:
A transgenic Tagetes erecta marigold plant or a regenerable portion thereof whose genome contains a transgene that encodes a chimeric ketolase enzyme polypeptide having two portions, (i) an N-terminal first portion comprising a plastid transit peptide portion fused to (ii) a second ketolase enzyme portion that converts a carotenoid β-ionene ring into a 4-keto-β-ionene ring, said transgene being operatively linked to a promoter that controls expression of said transgene, wherein the flower petals of said transgenic plant accumulate a carotenoid compound having a 4-keto-β-ionene ring, and wherein the flower petals of a host Tagetes erecta marigold that is not transformed with said chimeric ketolase, produce a carotenoid compound that contains a β-ionene ring having an unsubstituted 4-position and contains lutein that contains an β-ionene ring; and wherein said carotenoid compound produced in the petals of said host marigold contains a β-ionene ring having an unsubstituted 4-position that is one or both of β-carotene and zeaxanthin, and the ratio of the amount of β-carotene to the sum of the amounts of β-carotene and lutein present in said host flower petals is greater than about 1:10 or the ratio of the amount of zeaxanthin to the sum of the amounts of zeaxanthin and lutein present in said host flower petals is greater than about 1:10.