Fertile transgenic corn plants

Abstract

Fertile transgenic Zea mays (corn) plants which stably express recombinant DNA which is heritable are provided wherein said DNA preferably comprises a recombinant gene which encodes a seed storage protein, so that the amino acid profile of the corn is improved.

What is claimed is:  
     
       1. A fertile, mature, transgenic  Zea mays  plant, the genome of which has been altered by the introduction of an isolated, heterologous DNA construct, comprising a potato patatin gene, wherein said DNA construct is expressed so that the transgenic plant exhibits insect resistance that renders it identifiable over the corresponding untransformed  Zea mays  plant which does not comprise said DNA construct, and wherein the DNA is transmitted through a normal sexual cycle of the transgenic  Zea mays  plant to progeny. 
     
     
       2. A seed produced by the fertile, transgenic  Zea mays  plant of  claim 1  which comprises said DNA construct. 
     
     
       3. A progeny  Zea mays  plant derived from the fertile, transgenic  Zea mays  plant of  claim 1  wherein said progeny plant expresses said DNA construct so that said progeny plant exhibits said traits. 
     
     
       4. A seed derived from said progeny  Zea mays  plant of  claim 3  wherein said seed comprises said DNA construct. 
     
     
       5. The fertile, transgenic  Zea mays  plant of  claim 1  wherein said DNA construct further comprises a promoter. 
     
     
       6. The fertile, transgenic  Zea mays  plant of claims  1  or  5  wherein said DNA construct further comprises a selectable marker gene or a reporter gene. 
     
     
       7. The fertile, transgenic  Zea mays  plant of  claim 6  wherein the selectable marker gene is neo, hpt, dhfr or bar. 
     
     
       8. An inbred transgenic  Zea mays  plant of  claim 1 . 
     
     
       9. A hybrid transgenic  Zea mays  plant of  claim 1 .