Low fiber pennycress meal and methods of making
Inventors
Ulmasov, Tim • Hartnell, Gary • Sedbrook, John C. • Marks, Michael David • Chopra, Ratan • Esfahanian, Maliheh
Assignees
Illinois State University • CoverCress Inc • University of Minnesota System
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Publication Number
US-10709151-B2
Publication Date
2020-07-14
Expiration Date
Abstract
Pennycress seed, seed lots, and seed meal having reduced fiber content and improved suitability for use in producing animal feed are provided.
Core Innovation
The invention relates to pennycress seed meal defined by acid detergent fiber (ADF) content of 7% to 25% by dry weight, wherein the seed meal is defatted. The described seed meal comprises a detectable amount of a polynucleotide comprising at least one loss-of-function mutation in an endogenous wild-type pennycress gene having the polynucleotide sequence of SEQ ID NO: 71, or an allelic variant having at least 95% sequence identity to SEQ ID NO: 71.
The document explains that wild-type mechanically processed pennycress meal has high non-digestible fiber that limits metabolizable energy, and it describes reduced fiber and increased energy/protein outcomes for selected light/yellow-seeded mutants. The characterization includes measured reductions in ADF/NDF for selected mutants and comparisons that report higher oil/protein characteristics.
The disclosed approach connects the observed fiber reductions to genetic modifications in seed coat development and flavonoid/proanthocyanidin pathway genes, including loss-of-function and transgene-mediated suppression. The implicated gene sets include TRANSPARENT TESTA genes (TT1–TT19), TTG1, TTG2, GL2/GL3, and BAN, and the document includes an example causal mutation described as a TTG1 21 bp deletion in Y1067 and Y1126.
Claims Coverage
The independent claim defines a defatted pennycress seed meal by a specific ADF range and by the presence of a detectable polynucleotide encoding loss-of-function mutations in a pennycress gene sequence defined by SEQ ID NO: 71 or a high-identity allelic variant. The claim set adds inventive feature refinements across composition ranges and a comparative physical characteristic, including protein, oil, and neutral detergent fiber ranges and a lighter-color attribute versus a control wild-type meal.
Defatted pennycress seed meal with defined ADF range and detectable loss-of-function polynucleotide
A pennycress seed meal comprising an acid detergent fiber (ADF) content of 7% to 25% by dry weight, wherein the seed meal is defatted, and wherein the meal comprises a detectable amount of a polynucleotide comprising at least one loss-of-function mutation in an endogenous wild-type pennycress gene comprising the polynucleotide sequence of SEQ ID NO: 71 or at least one loss-of-function mutation in an allelic variant of the endogenous wild-type pennycress gene having at least 95% sequence identity to SEQ ID NO: 71.
Refined ADF range and tightened allelic sequence identity threshold
The pennycress seed meal comprises an ADF content of 8% to 20% by dry weight and a detectable polynucleotide with loss-of-function mutations matching SEQ ID NO: 71 (or an allelic variant with at least 99% sequence identity).
Protein-content-defined seed meal
The seed meal has a protein content of 30% to 70% by dry weight.
Oil-content-defined seed meal
The seed meal has an oil content ranging from 0% to 12% by dry weight.
Neutral detergent fiber (NDF)-content-defined seed meal
The seed meal has a neutral detergent fiber (NDF) content ranging from 10% to 30% by dry weight.
Lighter color relative to control wild-type meal
The pennycress seed meal has a lighter color than a control pennycress seed meal prepared from wild-type pennycress seed.
Across the independent claim and its dependents, the claim coverage centers on a defatted pennycress seed meal meeting an ADF-defined fiber specification together with a detectable polynucleotide bearing loss-of-function mutations tied to SEQ ID NO: 71 (or closely related allelic variants). Additional claim coverage tightens the ADF and allelic identity thresholds and further constrains protein, oil, and NDF content, while also including a lighter-color comparison versus control wild-type pennycress seed meal.
Stated Advantages
Improved suitability for animal feed as reflected by reduced non-digestible fiber limiting metabolizable energy, together with reported reductions in ADF/NDF and increased energy/protein for selected mutants.
Increased energy/protein and higher oil/protein characteristics relative to wild-type pennycress meal as described in the comparisons.
Documented Applications
Animal feed use of pennycress seed meal (including defatted meal) having reduced fiber and improved energy/protein characteristics, as stated in the document’s rationale and comparisons.
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