Novel plants and processes for obtaining them

Abstract

The invention relates to a transgenic or mutated plant having genomic material which alters the normal starch synthesis pathway within the plant. More specifically, the present invention relates to a plant having a genotype which creates new forms of starch in significant quantity. Particularly, the invention relates to grain having an embryo with a genotype heterozygous for two or more wild type genes (for example, Aa/Bb) and an endosperm having a genotype heterozygous for such genes (for example, AAa/BBb or AAa/bbB or aaA/BBb or aaA/bbB) and the starch produced therefrom.

We claim:  
     
         1 . A plant comprising: 
 genomic material which includes genes which give incomplete reduction of the activity of at least two specific isoforms of the enzymes in the starch synthesis pathway of said plant.    
     
     
         2 . A plant according to  claim 1  which forms starch which has different branching structure than the starch formed by a similar plant as described in  claim 1  which comprises genomic material which does not form isoforms of the enzymes in the starch synthesis pathway of the plant.  
     
     
         3 . A plant according to  claim 2  in which said starch forms in grain.  
     
     
         4 . Grain produced by a plant in which the genotype of the grain is mm*/n**, where m=first mutant n=second mutant and * equals wild type.  
     
     
         5 . A starch producing plant comprising: 
 genomic material which includes genes which give incomplete reduction of the activity of at least two specific isoform enzymes in the starch synthesis pathway of said plant whereby said plant produces substantially more starch than said plant would produce if said genes gave complete reduction of the activity of the same two specific isoform enzymes within the starch pathway.    
     
     
         6 . Grain having an endosperm genotype selected from the group consisting of: wxwxWx/AeAeae, aeaeAe/WxWxwx, wxwxWx/SuSusu, susuSu/wxWxwx, aeaeAe/SuSusu, susuSu/AeAeae, wxwxwx/DuDudu, aeaeAe/DuDudu, susuSu/DuDu du.  
     
     
         7 . Grain having an endosperm genotype comprising two doses of a first mutant allele of a gene which affects starch structure and one dose of a second mutant allele of a second gene which affects starch structure, said genes can be selected from waxy, amylose extender, dull, horny, sugary, shrunken, brittle, floury, opaque.  
     
     
         8 . The starch extracted from a grain according to  claim 7  having a genotype of wxwxWx/AeAeae.  
     
     
         9 . The starch extracted from a grain according to  claim 7  having a genotype of Aeaeae/WxWxwx.  
     
     
         10 . A plant having a diploid genotype of aa/BB and a triploid endosperm genotype of aaA/BBb which has starch where a is a recessive mutant gene and A is the wild type gene, and b is a recessive mutant gene and B is the wild type gene and the starch is altered from the normal starch, a and b can be selected from ae, du, wx, sh, bt, h, su, fl, op and B and A can be selected from Ae, Du, Wx, Sh, Bt, H, Su, Fl, Op.  
     
     
         11 . A plant having a diploid genotype of aA/Bb/Cc and a triploid endosperm genotype of aaA/BBb/CCc (and other combinations thereof) where a is a recessive mutant gene and A is the wild type gene, and b is a recessive mutant gene and B is the wild type gene, and c is a recessive mutant gene and C is the wild type gene and the starch is altered from the normal starch where a and b can be selected from ae, wx, sh, bt, h, su, fl, op, du and B and A can be selected from Ae, Wx, Sh, Bt, H, Su, FL, Op, Du.  
     
     
         12 . A method of producing grain with altered starch qualities which includes the steps of: 
 a) planting a parent which is capable of flowering and has complete reduction of at least one specific isoform enzyme in the starch synthesis pathway;    b) planting a second parent having a complete reduction of at least one other specific isoform enzyme in the starch synthesis pathway;    c) eliminating said first parent's capability to produce pollen;    d) pollinating said flowering first parent with said second parent's pollen; and    e) harvesting the grain produced by said first parent.    
     
     
         13 . The method according to  claim 12  including the step of extracting said altered starch from said grain.  
     
     
         14 . The starch extracted from the grain according to  claim 4  wherein a and b designate the same mutant and B and A designate the same wild type.  
     
     
         15 . The starch extracted from grain having at least four doses of mutant and two doses of wild type, such that the genotype has wild type on each side.  
     
     
         16 . The starch extracted from grain having at least three doses of mutant and three doses of wild type, such that the genotype has mutation on each side.  
     
     
         17 . A single mutant male sterile plant where the mutant is selected from ae, wx, sh, bt, h, su, fl, op, du.  
     
     
         18 . A sol comprising water and an effective amount of a starch extracted from a starch bearing plant having a waxy, waxy, amylose extender genotype.  
     
     
         19 . The sol of  claim 18  wherein the starch is present in an amount of about 1% to about 20% by weight.  
     
     
         20 . The sol of  claim 18  wherein the plant is maize.  
     
     
         21 . The sol of  claim 18  wherein the starch is cold water soluble.  
     
     
         22 . The sol of  claim 18  wherein said starch is in granular form.  
     
     
         23 . The sol of  claim 21  wherein said starch is extracted from maize.  
     
     
         24 . A foodstuff comprising a foodstubb and having as an essential ingredient therein an effective amount of a starch extracted from a starch bearing plant having a waxy, waxy, amylose extender genotype.  
     
     
         25 . The foodstuff of  claim 24  wherein said starch is present in an amount of about 0.1% to about 10% by weight foodstuff.  
     
     
         26 . The foodstuff of  claim 24  wherein said starch is extracted from maize.  
     
     
         27 . A method for making a sol containing starch comprising the steps of: 
 forming a slurry comprising water and an effective amount of a starch extracted from a starch bearing plant having waxy, waxy, amylose genotype; and    cooking said starch to gelatinize said starch.    
     
     
         28 . The method of  claim 27  wherein said effective amount is about 1% to about 20% by weight slurry.  
     
     
         29 . The method of  claim 27  wherein said starch is extracted from maize.  
     
     
         30 . A method for thickening a foodstuff comprising the steps of: 
 combining with a foodstuff an effective amount of a starch extracted from a starch bearing plant having a waxy, waxy, amylose extender genotype; and    cooking said foodstuff to thicken said foodstuff.    
     
     
         31 . The method of  claim 30  wherein said starch is extracted from maize.  
     
     
         32 . The method of  claim 30  wherein said starch is present in an amount of from about 0.1% to about 10% by weight of said foodstuff.  
     
     
         33 . An improved method for making a foodstuff which contains a gelatin said improvement comprising replacing at least a portion of the gelatin in said foodstuff with the sol of  claim 18 .  
     
     
         34 . An improved method for making a foodstuff which contains a natural gum, said improvement comprising replacing at least a portion of the natural gum with the sol of  claim 18 .  
     
     
         35 . The method of  claim 34  wherein said foodstuff is a gum candy, a gelled dessert, a glaze, or a spread.