Targeting of prolamin by rnai in bread wheat

Abstract

The present disclosure concerns the specific silencing of at least one of, but preferable all, of α (alpha), β (beta), γ (gamma), and ω (omega) gliadins and the LMW (low molecular weight) glutenin subunits of hard wheat and flour by interference RNA (iRNA) through use of a polynucleotide that is transcribed into an hpRNA (hairpin RNA). Furthermore, the present disclosure also concerns a vector, cell, plant, or seed comprising the polynucleotide. Expression can be specifically directed to particular tissues of wheat seeds through gene expression-regulating sequences such as, for example, the promoter of the gene that codes for a D-hordein.