IMPROVED ANIMAL FEED COMPOSITIONS AND METHODS OF USE
The invention provides an animal feed composition comprising microbial α-amylase, for example, an animal feed composition comprising transgenic plant material comprising a microbial α-amylase (e.g., a thermostable microbial α-amylase). The invention further provides methods of increasing animal performance and/or the efficiency of feed utilization by an animal (e.g., for milk or meat production), comprising feeding to the animal an animal feed composition of the present invention.
1 . A method of increasing the efficiency of feed utilization for milk production by a dairy animal, the method comprising feeding to the dairy animal an animal feed comprising transgenic maize plant material, wherein the transgenic maize plant material comprises a polynucleotide encoding a recombinant α-amylase, and wherein the recombinant α-amylase has at least about 80% sequence identity to the amino acid sequence of SEQ ID NO:1.
2 . The method according to claim 1 , wherein the efficiency of feed utilization for milk production is increased by at least about 0.02 as compared with the efficiency of feed utilization for milk production by a control animal that is not provided the animal feed.
6 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the dairy animal is a cow.
7 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the dairy animal is a goat.
8 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the recombinant α-amylase has at least about 95% sequence identity to the amino acid sequence of SEQ ID NO:1.
9 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the polynucleotide comprises a nucleotide sequence having at least 80% sequence identity to the nucleotide sequence of SEQ ID NO:2 and/or SEQ ID NO:3.
10 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the alpha amylase is a thermostable alpha amylase.
11 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the recombinant α-amylase is α-amylase 797GL3 or D45.
12 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the maize plant material comprises maize event 3272.
13 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the recombinant α-amylase is targeted away from its substrate.
14 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the recombinant α-amylase is targeted to the chloroplast, vacuole, cytoplasm, apoplast or endoplasmic reticulum.
15 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the recombinant α-amylase is targeted to the endoplasmic reticulum.
16 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the polynucleotide encoding the recombinant α-amylase is expressed in the kernel.
17 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the animal feed comprises pellets, grain, silage, dry-rolled kernels, steam flaked kernels, whole kernels, coarsely cracked kernels, high moisture corn, or any combination thereof, comprising the transgenic maize plant material.
18 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the animal feed comprises at least about 10% by weight on a dry matter basis of the transgenic maize plant material.
19 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the animal feed is a total mixed ration comprising the transgenic maize plant material.
20 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the animal feed comprises silage comprising the transgenic maize plant material.
21 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the animal feed comprises dry-rolled kernels comprising the transgenic maize plant material.
22 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the animal feed comprises steam flaked kernels comprising the transgenic maize plant material.
23 . A method of increasing the efficiency of feed utilization for milk production by a dairy cow, the method comprising feeding to the dairy cow an animal feed comprising transgenic maize plant material, wherein the transgenic maize plant material comprises maize event 3272.
24 . The method according to claim 23 , wherein the efficiency of feed utilization for milk production is increased by at least about 0.02 as compared with the efficiency of feed utilization for milk production by a control animal that is not provided the animal feed.
25 . The method of claim 23 , wherein the animal feed comprises pellets, grain, silage, dry-rolled kernels, steam flaked kernels, whole kernels, coarsely cracked kernels, high moisture corn, or any combination thereof, comprising the transgenic maize plant material.
26 . The method of claim 23 , wherein the animal feed comprises at least about 10% by weight on a dry matter basis of the transgenic maize plant material.
27 . The method of claim 23 , wherein the animal feed is a total mixed ration comprising the transgenic maize plant material.
28 . The method of claim 23 , wherein the animal feed comprises silage comprising the transgenic maize plant material.
29 . The method of claim 23 , wherein the animal feed comprises dry-rolled kernels comprising the transgenic maize plant material.
30 . The method of claim 23 , wherein the animal feed comprises steam flaked kernels comprising the transgenic maize plant material.