Genes for modifying plant traits XI

• US 20050172364A1
• Filed: 02/28/2005
• Published: 08/04/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 03/23/1999
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Mendel Biotechnology, Inc. (KOCH Industries Incorporated)
• Original Assignee: Mendel Biotechnology, Inc. (KOCH Industries Incorporated)
• Inventors: Heard, Jacqueline E.
• Granted Patent: US 8,558,059 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 800/289
• CPC Class Codes: C07K 14/415 from plants
• CPC Class Codes: C12N 15/8214 Plastid transformation
• CPC Class Codes: C12N 15/8216 Methods for controlling, regulating or enhancing expression of transgenes in plant cells
• CPC Class Codes: C12N 15/8247 involving modified lipid metabolism, e.g. seed oil composition
• CPC Class Codes: C12N 15/8251 Amino acid content, e.g. synthetic storage proteins, altering amino acid biosynthesis
• CPC Class Codes: C12N 15/8261 with agronomic (input) traits, e.g. crop yield
• CPC Class Codes: C12N 15/8267 Seed dormancy, germination or sprouting
• CPC Class Codes: C12N 15/8271 for stress resistance, e.g. heavy metal resistance
• CPC Class Codes: C12N 15/8273 for drought, cold, salt resistance
• CPC Class Codes: C12N 15/8282 for fungal resistance
• CPC Class Codes: Y02A 40/146 Genetically Modified [GMO] plants, e.g. transgenic plants

Abstract

The invention relates to plant transcription factor polypeptides, polynucleotides that encode them, homologs and orthologs from a variety of plant species, and methods of using the polynucleotides and polypeptides to produce transgenic plants having advantageous properties compared to a reference plant. Sequence information related to these polynucleotides and polypeptides can also be used in bioinformatic search methods and is also disclosed.

Claims

1-2. -2. (canceled)

6. (canceled)

8. (canceled)

10-13. -13. (canceled)

15. (canceled)

23-51. -51. (canceled)

52. A transgenic plant having greater tolerance to an environmental stress than a wild-type plant of the same species, wherein the transgenic plant comprises:

a recombinant polynucleotide having a nucleotide sequence encoding a polypeptide having a conserved domain with at least 80% sequence identity to a conserved domain of amino acid coordinates 20-109 of SEQ ID NO;

2;

wherein the environmental stress is selected from the group consisting of salt stress, drought, cold and heat; and

wherein the polypeptide confers to the transgenic plant greater tolerance to the environmental stress than a wild-type plant of the same species.

53. The transgenic plant of claim 52, wherein the polypeptide has a conserved domain with at least 85% sequence identity to the conserved domain of amino acid coordinates 20-109 of SEQ ID NO:

2.

54. The transgenic plant of claim 52, wherein the polypeptide has a conserved domain with at least 90% sequence identity to the conserved domain of amino acid coordinates 20-109 of SEQ ID NO:

2.

55. The transgenic plant of claim 52, wherein the transgenic plant is tolerant to more than one environmental stress selected from the group consisting of salt stress, drought, cold and heat.

56. The transgenic plant of claim 52, further comprising a constitutive, inducible, or tissue-specific promoter operably linked to said nucleotide sequence.

57. The transgenic plant of claim 52, wherein the transgenic plant is more tolerant to a salt stress of 6 hours of exposure to 200 mM NaCl than the wild-type plant of the same species.

58. The transgenic plant of claim 52, wherein the transgenic plant is more tolerant to 168 hours without watering than the wild-type plant of the same species.

59. The transgenic plant of claim 52, wherein the transgenic plant is more tolerant to a cold stress of 6 hours at 8°

C. than the wild-type plant of the same species.

60. The transgenic plant of claim 52, wherein the transgenic plant is more tolerant to a heat stress of 6 hours of exposure to 32°

C. than the wild-type plant of the same species.

61. The transgenic plant of claim 52, wherein the transgenic plant is a dicot.

62. The transgenic plant of claim 52, wherein the transgenic plant is a monocot.

63. The transgenic plant of claim 52, wherein the transgenic plant is a gymnosperm.

64. The transgenic plant of claim 52, wherein the transgenic plant produces a seed comprising the recombinant polynucleotide of claim 52, and a progeny plant germinated from the seed has greater tolerance to the environmental stress than the wild-type plant.

65. A method for producing a transgenic plant having greater tolerance to an environmental stress than a wild-type plant of the same species;

wherein the environmental stress is selected from the group consisting of salt stress, drought, cold, and heat, the method steps comprising;

(a) selecting a polynucleotide comprising a nucleotide sequence encoding a polypeptide having a conserved domain with at least 80% sequence identity to the conserved domain of amino acid coordinates 20-109 of SEQ ID NO;

2;

(b) inserting the polynucleotide into an expression vector;

(c) introducing the vector into a plant or a cell of a plant to overexpress the encoded polypeptide of the nucleotide sequence; and

(d) selecting the transgenic plant for greater tolerance to the environmental stress than the wild-type plant of the same species.

66. The method of claim 65, wherein the environmental stress is selected from the group consisting of a high salt stress of 6 hours of exposure to 200 mM NaCl, a drought stress of 168 hours without watering, a cold stress of 6 hours at 8°

C., and a heat stress of 6 hours of exposure to 32°

C.

67. The method of claim 65, wherein the polypeptide has a conserved domain with at least 85% sequence identity to the conserved domain of amino acid coordinates 20-109 of SEQ ID NO:

2.

68. The method of claim 65, wherein the polypeptide has a conserved domain with at least 90% sequence identity to the conserved domain of amino acid coordinates 20-109 of SEQ ID NO:

2.

69. The method of claim 65, wherein the expression vector comprises a constitutive, inducible, or tissue-specific promoter operably linked to the nucleotide sequence.

70. A method for increasing the yield of a plant in drought stress or salt stress as compared to the yield a wild-type plant of the same species, the method steps including:

(a) selecting a polynucleotide comprising a nucleotide sequence encoding a polypeptide having a conserved domain with at least 80% sequence identity to the conserved domain of amino acid coordinates 20-109 of SEQ ID NO;

2;

(b) inserting the polynucleotide into an expression vector;

(c) introducing the vector into a plant or a cell of a plant to overexpress the encoded polypeptide of the nucleotide sequence;

(d) selecting a transgenic plant by screening during germination for greater tolerance to 9.4% sucrose than the wild-type plant; and

(e) growing the transgenic plant in drought stress or salt stress conditions;

wherein the yield of the transgenic plant is greater than the wild-type plant when the transgenic plant and the wild-type plant are grown in the same conditions of drought stress or salt stress.

71. The method of claim 70, wherein the expression vector comprises a constitutive, inducible, or tissue-specific promoter operably linked to the nucleotide sequence.