Fertile transgenic corn plants

• US 6,013,863 A
• Filed: 04/21/1997
• Issued: 01/11/2000
• Est. Priority Date: 01/22/1990
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Monsanto Technology LLC (Bayer AG)
• Original Assignee: DEKALB Genetics Corp. (Bayer AG)
• Inventors: Walters, David A., Lundquist, Ronald C.
• Primary Examiner(s): Benzion, Gary
• Application Number:
  US08/844,555
• Time in Patent Office: 995 Days
• Field of Search: 800/205, 800/200, 800/250, 800/DIG. 56, 800/293, 800/278, 800/288, 47/58, 47/DIG. 1, 435/172.3, 435/172.1, 435/412, 435/424, 435/430, 435/430.1, 435/287, 435/285, 435/285.3
• US Class Current: 800/293
• CPC Class Codes: C07K 14/325 Bacillus thuringiensis crystal peptides, i.e. delta-endotoxins
• CPC Class Codes: C07K 14/425 Zeins
• CPC Class Codes: C12N 15/8207 by mechanical means, e.g. microinjection, particle bombardment, silicon whiskers
• CPC Class Codes: C12N 15/8251 Amino acid content, e.g. synthetic storage proteins, altering amino acid biosynthesis
• CPC Class Codes: C12N 15/8253 Methionine or cysteine
• CPC Class Codes: C12N 15/8254 Tryptophan or lysine
• CPC Class Codes: C12N 15/8274 for herbicide resistance
• CPC Class Codes: C12N 15/8286 for insect resistance
• CPC Class Codes: Y02A 40/146 Genetically Modified [GMO] plants, e.g. transgenic plants

Abstract

A process of preparing fertile Zea mays plants is provided wherein said plants are resistant to the herbicide glyphosate, as well as processes for preparing seed, human food or animal feed therefrom.

Claims

1. A process for producing a fertile transgenic Zea mays plant comprising the steps of (i) bombarding intact regenerable Zea mays cells with DNA-coated microprojectiles, wherein said DNA comprises at least a screenable marker gene;

(ii) selecting a population of transformed cells expressing the selectable marker gene; and

(iii) regenerating a fertile transgenic plant therefrom, wherein said DNA is expressed so as to impart glyphosate resistance to said transgenic plant and is transmitted through a normal sexual cycle of said transgenic plant to progeny plants.

2. The process of claim 1 wherein the fertile transgenic Zea mays plant is regenerated from transformed embryogenic tissue.

3. The process of claim 1 wherein the cells are derived from immature embryos.

4. The process of claim 1 wherein said DNA encodes an EPSP synthase.

5. The process of claim 1 further comprising obtaining transgenic glyphosate resistant progeny plants of subsequent generations from said fertile transgenic plant.

6. The process of claim 5 further comprising obtaining seed from one of said progeny plants.

7. A process for producing seed comprising:

(a) providing a fertile transgenic Zea mays produced by the process of claim 1, plant comprising heterologous heritable DNA that is expressed so as to impart glyphosate resistance to said transgenic Zea mays plant;

(b) cultivating said transgenic Zea mays plant;

(c) obtaining seed from said cultivated Zea mays plant.

8. The process of claim 7 wherein the DNA encodes an EPSP synthase.