Tonoplast proton/sugar antiporter proteins and the use thereof to increase the saccharose concentration in a saccharose storage organ of plants
The invention relates to tonoplast proton/sugar antiporter proteins, more particularly tonoplast proton/saccharose antiporter proteins, the nucleotide sequences which encode them and uses thereof for producing transgenic plants with an increased saccharose concentration. The invention also includes methods for producing transgenic plants with an increased saccharose concentration, methods for increasing the saccharose concentration in plants, and for identifying plants which are suitable for creating a higher saccharose concentration.
1. A method for producing a transgenic Beta vulgaris plant, the method comprising the steps of:
(a) incorporating a nucleic acid molecule in at least one cell of a Beta vulgaris plant, wherein the nucleic acid molecule comprises:
i) the nucleotide sequence of SEQ ID NO: 2; or
ii) a nucleotide sequence encoding a polypeptide comprising the amino acid sequence of SEQ ID NO: 1, and
(b) regenerating a transgenic Beta vulgaris plant from the Beta vulgaris plant cell obtained in step (a).
2. The method of claim 1 , wherein the nucleic acid molecule further comprises at least one heterologous regulatory element.