Maize event 3272 has been genetically modified to express a thermostable α-amylase enzyme (AMY797E) for use in dry-grind fuel ethanol production. Amylase is used to hydrolyse starch into smaller sugar subunits, which is the first step in producing ethanol from plants.

3272 was developed by Agrobacterium-mediated transformation of the proprietary line A188 of Zea mays using the transformation vector pNOV7013. Between the right and left borders, this plasmid contained:

• The amy797E gene cassette. The chimeric gene derived from three wildtype α-amylase genes from the archael order Thermococcales, encodes a thermostable α-amylase enzyme, which retains its activity during the high temperatures required for starch hydrolysis in dry-grind ethanol production.

• The pmi (manA) gene cassette. pmi encodes the enzyme phosphomannose isomerase (PMI). This protein was used as a selectable maker during transformation.

Molecular analyses indicate that there is one insertion site consisting of the entire T-DNA from plasmid pNOV7013. Sequence analysis of the entire T-DNA insert present in event 3272 confirms that the two novel genes are intact, and that no rearrangements or mutations to either coding or regulatory sequences have taken place. Southern analyses were done to demonstrate that the insert is stable over several generations.