Transgenic fiber producing plants with increased expression of sucrose phosphate synthase

• US 20030070191A1
• Filed: 08/12/2002
• Published: 04/10/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 09/10/1999
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Texas Tech University (Texas Tech University System)
• Original Assignee: Texas Tech University (Texas Tech University System)
• Inventors: Haigler, Candace H., Holaday, A. Scott
• Granted Patent: US 7,091,400 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 800/284
• CPC Class Codes: C12N 15/8242 with non-agronomic quality (output) traits, e.g. for industrial processing; Value added, non-agronomic traits
• CPC Class Codes: C12N 15/8246 Non-starch polysaccharides, e.g. cellulose, fructans, levans
• CPC Class Codes: C12N 15/8261 with agronomic (input) traits, e.g. crop yield
• CPC Class Codes: C12N 15/8273 for drought, cold, salt resistance
• CPC Class Codes: C12N 9/1066 Sucrose phosphate synthase (2.4.1.14)
• CPC Class Codes: Y02A 40/146 Genetically Modified [GMO] plants, e.g. transgenic plants

Abstract

The present invention relates to a method of controlling the cellulose synthesis in plants to optimize the level of production and quality of the products derived from the plant. In particular, the present invention provides a transgenic cotton plant that has higher yields of cotton fiber and seed. The invention also provides methods for increasing the quality of cotton fiber produced from a cotton plant. The invention also provides general methods of changing the ratio of cellulose to other dry weight components of the plant, for changing the thickness of cell walls, for increasing the yield and changing the quality of other plant fibers, for increasing seed yield, and for increasing the tolerance of photosynthetic efficiency to cool night temperatures.

Claims

1. A transgenic cotton plant wherein the transgenic cotton plant has an increased level of sucrose phosphate synthase relative to a non-transgenic cotton plant.

2. The transgenic cotton plant according to claim 1, wherein the cotton plant is transformed with a chimeric DNA construct that expresses sucrose phosphate synthase.

3. The transgenic cotton plant according to claim 1, wherein the chimeric DNA construct comprises a plant specific promoter.

4. The transgenic cotton plant according to claim 1, wherein the chimeric DNA construct is stablely integrated into the genome of the cotton plant.

5. The transgenic cotton plant according to claim 1, wherein the chimeric DNA construct is introduced into the cotton plant by a method selected from the group consisting of electroporation, Agrobacterium mediated transformation, biolistic gene transformation, chemically mediated transformation, and microinjection.

6. The transgenic cotton plant according to claim 1, wherein the sucrose phosphate synthase is selected from the group consisting of spinach, Arabidopsis, beet, bean, citrus, maize, moss, potato, rice, sugar cane, and Synechocystis sucrose phosphate synthase.

7. The transgenic cotton plant according to claim 6, wherein the sucrose phosphate synthase is spinach sucrose phosphate synthase.

8. The transgenic cotton plant according to claim 1, wherein cotton fibers from the plant have improved quality.

9. The transgenic cotton plant according to claim 1, wherein cotton fibers from the plant have an improved quality selected from the group consisting of increased strength, increased length, and increased micronaire, as compared to a cotton plant lacking the transgene.

10. Seed produced from the plant according to claim 1.

11. A method of increasing the yield of cotton plant comprising:

introducing into a cotton plant a chimeric DNA construct capable of altering sucrose phosphate synthase activity in an amount sufficient to increase the yield of the cotton plant.

12. The method according to claim 11, further comprising:

growing said cotton plant.

13. The method according to claim 11, wherein the yield of cotton seeds is increased.

14. The method according to claim 11, wherein the yield of cotton fiber is increased.

15. The method according to claim 11, wherein the chimeric DNA construct expresses a sucrose phosphate synthase.

16. The method according to claim 15, wherein the sucrose phosphate synthase is selected from the group consisting of spinach, Arabidopsis, beet, bean, citrus, maize, moss, potato, rice, sugar cane, and Synechocystis sucrose phosphate synthase.

17. The method according to claim 16, wherein the sucrose phosphate synthase is spinach sucrose phosphate synthase.

18. The method according to claim 11, wherein the chimeric DNA construct comprises a plant specific transcription initiation region.

19. The method according to claim 18, wherein the transcription initiation region is tissue specific.

20. The method according to claim 18, wherein the transcription initiation region is leaf specific.

21. The method according to claim 18, wherein the transcription initiation region is a RUBISCO small subunit promoter, a 35S promoter, a fiber enhanced promoter, a vascular cell enhanced promoter, a stem cell enhanced promoter, or a seed enhanced promoter.

22. The method according to claim 15, wherein the chimeric DNA construct is stablely integrated into the genome of the cotton plant.

23. The method according to claim 15, wherein said introducing of the chimeric DNA construct is into the plant is carried out by a method selected from the group consisting of electroporation, Agrobacterium mediated transformation, biolistic gene transformation, chemically mediated transformation, and microinjection.

24. A method of increasing the quality of cotton fiber produced from a cotton plant comprising:

introducing into a cotton plant a chimeric DNA construct capable of altering sucrose phosphate synthase activity in an amount sufficient to increase the quality of the cotton fiber produced by the cotton plant.

25. The method according to claim 24, further comprising:

growing said cotton plant.

26. The method according to claim 24, wherein cotton fiber has an improved quality selected from the group consisting of increased strength, increased length, and increased micronaire, as compared to a cotton plant lacking the transgene.

27. The method according to claim 24, wherein the chimeric DNA construct expresses a sucrose phosphate synthase.

28. The method according to claim 27, wherein the sucrose phosphate synthetase is selected from the group consisting of spinach, Arabidopsis, beet, bean, citrus, maize, moss, potato, rice, sugar cane, and Synechocystis sucrose phosphate synthase.

29. The method according to claim 28, wherein the sucrose phosphate synthase is spinach sucrose phosphate synthase.

30. The method according to claim 24, wherein the chimeric DNA construct comprises a plant specific transcription initiation region.

31. The method according to claim 30, wherein the transcription initiation region is tissue specific.

32. The method according to claim 30, wherein the transcription initiation region is leaf specific.

33. The method according to claim 30, wherein the transcription initiation region is a RUBISCO small subunit promoter, a 35S promoter, a fiber enhanced promoter, a vascular cell enhanced promoter, a stem cell enhanced promoter, or a seed enhanced promoter.

34. The method according to claim 24, wherein the chimeric DNA construct is stablely integrated into the genome of the cotton plant.

35. The method according to claim 24, wherein said introducing of the chimeric DNA construct into the plant is carried out by a method selected from the group consisting of electroporation, Agrobacterium mediated transformation, biolistic gene transformation, chemically mediated transformation, and microinjection.

36. A method of regulating the ratio of cellulose to other dry weight components of a plant, comprising:

introducing into a plant a chimeric DNA construct capable of altering sucrose phosphate synthase activity in an amount sufficient to regulate the ratio of cellulose to other dry weight components of the plant.

37. The method according to claim 36, further comprising:

growing said plant.

38. The method according to claim 36, wherein the ratio of cellulose to other dry weight components of a plant is increased.

39. The method according to claim 36, wherein the chimeric DNA construct expresses a sucrose phosphate synthase.

40. The method according to claim 39, wherein the sucrose phosphate synthase is selected from the group consisting of spinach, Arabidopsis, beet, bean, citrus, maize, moss, potato, rice, sugar cane, and Synechocystis sucrose phosphate synthase.

41. The method according to claim 40, wherein the sucrose phosphate synthase is spinach sucrose phosphate synthase.

42. The method according to claim 36, wherein the chimeric DNA construct comprises a plant specific transcription initiation region.

43. The method according to claim 42, wherein the transcription initiation region is tissue specific.

44. The method according to claim 42, wherein the transcription initiation region is leaf specific.

45. The method according to claim 42, wherein the transcription initiation region is a RUBISCO small subunit promoter, a 35S promoter, a fiber enhanced promoter, a vascular cell enhanced promoter, a stem cell enhanced promoter, or a seed enhanced promoter.

46. The method according to claim 36, wherein the chimeric DNA construct is stablely integrated into the genome of the plant.

47. The method according to claim 36, wherein said introducing of the chimeric DNA construct into the plant is carried out by a method selected from the group consisting of electroporation, Agrobacterium mediated transformation, biolistic gene transformation, chemically mediated transformation, and microinjection.

48. The method according to claim 36, wherein the ratio of cellulose in dry weight components increases to exceed 40%.

49. The method according to claim 48, wherein the increase in cellulose ratio occurs in xylem cells.

50. The method according to claim 48, wherein the increase in cellulose ratio occurs in phloem cells.

51. The method according to claim 36, wherein the plant is selected from the group consisting of sugarcane, sugar beets, forest trees, forage crops, fiber producing plants, and seed producing plants.

52. A method of increasing tolerance of photosynthetic efficiency to cool night temperatures, comprising:

introducing into a plant a chimeric DNA construct capable of altering sucrose phosphate synthase activity in an amount sufficient to increase tolerance of photosynthetic efficiency to cool night temperatures.

53. The method according to claim 52, further comprising:

growing said plant.

54. The method according to claim 53, wherein the chimeric DNA construct expresses a sucrose phosphate synthase.

55. The method according to claim 54, wherein the sucrose phosphate synthetase is selected from the group consisting of spinach, Arabidopsis, beet, bean, citrus, maize, moss, potato, rice, sugar cane, and Synechocystis sucrose phosphate synthase.

56. The method according to claim 55, wherein the sucrose phosphate synthase is spinach sucrose phosphate synthase.

57. The method according to claim 52, wherein the chimeric DNA construct comprises a plant specific transcription initiation region.

58. The method according to claim 57, wherein the transcription initiation region is tissue specific.

59. The method according to claim 57, wherein the transcription initiation region is leaf specific.

60. The method according to claim 57, wherein the transcription initiation region is a RUBISCO small subunit promoter, a 35S promoter, a fiber enhanced promoter, a vascular cell enhanced promoter, a stem cell enhanced promoter, or a seed enhanced promoter.

61. The method according to claim 52, wherein the chimeric DNA construct is stablely integrated into the genome of the plant.

62. The method according to claim 52, wherein said introducing of the chimeric DNA construct into the plant is carried out by a method selected from the group consisting of electroporation, Agrobacterium mediated transformation, biolistic gene transformation, chemically mediated transformation, and microinjection.

64. The method according to claim 62, further comprising:

growing said plant.

65. The method according to claim 62, wherein the plant is a fiber producing plant.

66. The method according to claim 62, wherein the plant is selected from the group consisting of sugarcane, sugar beets, forest trees, forage crops, fiber producing plants, and seed producing plants.

67. The method according to claim 62, wherein the chimeric DNA construct expresses a sucrose phosphate synthase.

68. The method according to claim 67, wherein the sucrose phosphate synthase is selected from the group consisting of spinach, Arabidopsis, beet, bean, citrus, maize, moss, potato, rice, sugar cane, and Synechocystis sucrose phosphate synthase.

69. The method according to claim 68, wherein the sucrose phosphate synthetase is spinach sucrose phosphate synthetase.

63. A method of regulating the thickness of cell walls in a plant, comprising:

introducing into a plant a chimeric DNA construct capable of altering sucrose phosphate synthase activity in an amount sufficient to regulate the thickness of cell walls in a plant.

70. A method of increasing the harvestable yield of fiber from a fiber containing plant, comprising:

introducing into a plant a chimeric DNA construct capable of altering sucrose phosphate synthase activity in an amount sufficient to increase the harvestable yield of fiber from a fiber containing plant.

71. The method according to claim 70, further comprising:

growing said plant.

72. The method according to claim 70, wherein the chimeric DNA construct expresses a sucrose phosphate synthase.

73. The method according to claim 72, wherein the sucrose phosphate synthase is selected from the group consisting of spinach, Arabidopsis, beet, bean, citrus, maize, moss, potato, rice, sugar cane, and Synechocystis sucrose phosphate synthase.

74. The method according to claim 73, wherein the sucrose phosphate synthase is spinach sucrose phosphate synthase.

75. A method of increasing the harvestable yield of seed from a plant, comprising:

introducing into a plant a chimeric DNA construct capable of altering sucrose phosphate synthase activity in an amount sufficient to increase the harvestable yield of seed from the plant.

76. The method according to claim 75, further comprising:

growing said plant.

77. The method according to claim 75, wherein the chimeric DNA construct expresses a sucrose phosphate synthase.

78. The method according to claim 77, wherein the sucrose phosphate synthase is selected from the group consisting of spinach, Arabidopsis, beet, bean, citrus, maize, moss, potato, rice, sugar cane, and Synechocystis sucrose phosphate synthase.

79. The method according to claim 78, wherein the sucrose phosphate synthase is spinach sucrose phosphate synthase.

80. A method of altering the quality of fiber isolated from a fiber producing plant, comprising:

introducing into a plant a chimeric DNA construct capable of altering sucrose phosphate synthase activity in an amount sufficient to alter the quality of fiber produced from the plant.

81. The method according to claim 80, wherein the fiber has an altered quality selected from the group consisting of increased strength, increased length, and increased weight per unit length, as compared to a plant lacking the transgene.

82. The method according to claim 80, wherein the fiber has an altered quality selected from the group consisting of decreased strength, decreased length, and decreased weight per unit length, as compared to a plant lacking the transgene.