Manipulation of methionine-rich protein genes in plant seeds

Animal feeds based on soybean and corn meals are often deficient in the sulfur-containing amino acids, methionine and cysteine. At present, this deficiency is remedied by amino acid supplementation of the diet. A number of methionine-rich seed proteins have been identified; seed-specific expression of genes encoding these proteins is expected to improve the protein quality in feed seed and thereby eliminate the need for supplementation.