Combined expression of S-VSPα in two different organelles enhances its accumulation and total lysine production in leaves of transgenic tobacco plants

Soybean vegetative storage proteins (S-VSPs) accumulate to high levels in vacuoles of both wild types and heterologous plants. Here it is shown that directing S-VSPα to two different organelles - chloroplasts and vacuoles - in a single transgenic plant significantly increased its accumulation. Accumulation of S-VSPα in heterologous plants correlated with total soluble lysine. Using this approach with essential amino-acid-rich transgene proteins may lead to a breakthrough in improving plant nutritional quality.