Endosperm-specific expression of tyramine N-hydroxycinnamoyltransferase and tyrosine decarboxylase from a single self-processing polypeptide produces high levels of tyramine derivatives in rice seeds.

The plant-specific tyramine derivatives, feruloyltyramine (FT) and 4-coumaroyltyramine (CT), represent bioactive compounds found at low levels in many plant species. We generated transgenic rice seeds that produce high levels of CT (14 microg g(-1) seeds) and FT (2.7 microg g(-1) seeds) through the dual expression of tyramine N-hydroxycinnamoyltransferase and tyrosine decarboxylase, using the self-processing foot-and-mouth disease virus 2A sequence and the endosperm-specific prolamin promoter.