Patent ID: 8288614

Claim:
A method for making a genetically modified maize plant with grain having increased energy availability compared to the corresponding unmodified plant and a hard vitreous endosperm, the method comprising: a) introducing into a maize plant cell an expression cassette with means for stably decreasing the level of a gamma-zein selected from the group consisting of 27 kD and 50 kD gamma-zein, wherein the means for stable decrease is co-suppression, or homology-dependent gene silencing targeting a gamma-zein selected from the group consisting of 27 kD and 50 kD gamma-zein; b) regenerating a genetically modified maize plant from the cell; and c) selecting for a genetically modified maize plant with grain having increased energy availability and a hard vitreous endosperm, wherein the increased energy availability and hard vitreous endosperm being due the stably decreased level of a gamma-zein selected from the group consisting of 16 kD, 27 kD, and 50 kD gamma-zein.