Maize seed with synergistically enhanced lysine content

1. A transgenic maize plant comprising in its genome transgenic DNA encoding an antisense sequence complementary to all or a portion of a 19 kD or 22 kDa alpha-zein messenger RNA (mRNA) and a transgenic DNA for the expression of lysine insensitive aspartate kinase (AK) or dihydrodipicolinic acid synthase (DHDPS), and/or transgenic DNA encoding an antisense sequence complementary to all or a portion of a maize lysine-ketoglutarate reductase (LKR) mRNA and a saccharopine dehydrogenase (SDH) mRNA, whereby expression of said transgenic DNA results in a synergistically increased free lysine content of seed of said transgenic maize plant.

2. The transgenic maize plant of claim 1 , wherein said transgenic DNA encodes an antisense sequence complementary to all or a portion of a 19 kD and 22 kDa alpha-zein mRNA.

3. The transgenic maize plant of claim 1 , wherein said transgenic maize plant is a progeny transgenic maize plant from genetic crossing of a first parent transgenic maize plant comprising in its genome transgenic DNA encoding an antisense sequence complementary to all or a portion of a 19 kD or 22 kDa alpha-zein mRNA and a second parent transgenic maize plant comprising in its genome transgenic DNA comprising sequence for the expression of lysine insensitive AK or DHDPS, and/or transgenic DNA encoding an antisense sequence complementary to all or a portion of a maize LKR mRNA and a SDH mRNA, wherein said progeny transgenic maize plant from said genetic crossing has in its genome said transgenic DNA encoding an antisense sequence complementary to all or a portion of a 19 kD or 22 kDa alpha-zein mRNA and said transgenic DNA for the expression of lysine insensitive AK or DHDPS, and/or transgenic DNA encoding an antisense sequence complementary to all or a portion of a maize LKR mRNA and a SDH mRNA.

4. A method for providing maize seed with synergistically increased lysine content, comprising: (a) providing a transgenic maize plant comprising in its genome transgenic DNA encoding an antisense sequence complementary to all or a portion of a 19 kD or 22 kDa alpha-zein messenger RNA mRNA and a transgenic DNA for the expression of lysine insensitive aspartate kinase (AK) or dihydrodipicolinic acid synthase (DHDPS), and/or transgenic DNA encoding an antisense sequence complementary to all or a portion of a maize lysine-ketoglutarate reductase (LKR) mRNA and a saccharopine dehydrogenase (SDH) mRNA, (b) expressing said transgenic DNA in seed of said transgenic maize plant, said expressing resulting in a synergistically increased free lysine content of said seed, and (c) harvesting said seed with synergistically increased free lysine content.

5. The method of claim 4 , wherein said providing comprises genetic crossing of a first parent transgenic maize plant comprising in its genome transgenic DNA encoding an antisense sequence complementary to all or a portion of a 19 kD or 22 kDa alpha-zein mRNA and a second parent transgenic maize plant comprising in its genome transgenic DNA comprising a sequence for the expression of lysine insensitive AK or DHDPS, and/or transgenic DNA encoding an antisense sequence complementary to all or a portion of a maize LKR mRNA and a SDH mRNA, said genetic crossing resulting in a progeny transgenic maize plant comprising in its genome said transgenic DNA encoding an antisense sequence complementary to all or a portion of a 19 kD or 22 kDa alpha-zein mRNA and said transgenic DNA for the expression of lysine insensitive AK or DHDPS, and/or transgenic DNA encoding an antisense sequence complementary to all or a portion of a maize LKR mRNA and a SDH mRNA.

6. A transgenic maize plant comprising in its genome transgenic DNA comprising in 5′ to 3′ order

a) a promoter element operably linked to an anti-sense oriented DNA element complementary to all or a portion of a 19 kD or 22 kDa alpha-zein mRNA and a sense-oriented DNA, wherein the sense-oriented DNA element is shorter than the anti-sense-oriented DNA element complementary to all or a portion of a 19 kD or 22 kDa alpha-zein mRNA and the sense-oriented RNA transcribed by the sense-oriented DNA is complementary to the 5′-most end of anti-sense oriented RNA transcribed by the anti-sense oriented RNA transcribed by the anti-sense-oriented DNA element, wherein the transcribed RNA forms a loop of anti-sense oriented RNA for suppressing the at least one zein gene; and

b) a transgenic DNA encoding a polypeptide with lysine-insensitive aspartate kinase (AK) activity or dihydrodipicolinic acid synthase (DHDPS) activity, and/or an antisense sequence complementary to all or a portion of maize lysine-ketoglutarate reductase (LKR) mRNA and saccharopine dehydrogenase (SDH) mRNA,

whereby expression of said transgenic DNA results in a synergistically increased free lysine content of seed of said transgenic maize plant.

7. A seed of a transgenic maize plant according to claim 1 , wherein the seed comprises transgenic DNA encoding an antisense sequence complementary to all or a portion of a 19 kD or 22 kDa alpha-zein mRNA, a sequence for the expression of lysine insensitive aspartate kinase (AK) or dihydrodipicolinic acid synthase (DHDPS), and/or transgenic DNA encoding an antisense sequence complementary to all or a portion of a maize LKR mRNA and a SDH mRNA.

8. A corn meal or flour from a seed of a transgenic maize plant according to claim 1 , wherein the corn meal or flour comprises transgenic DNA encoding an antisense sequence complementary to all or a portion of a 19 kD or 22 kDa alpha-zein mRNA, a sequence for the expression of lysine insensitive aspartate kinase (AK) or dihydrodipicolinic acid synthase (DHDPS), and/or transgenic DNA encoding an antisense sequence complementary to all or a portion of a maize LKR mRNA and a SDH mRNA.