Putative Cytokinin Receptor and Methods for Use Thereof

• US 20110023187A1
• Filed: 02/05/2008
• Published: 01/27/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 02/05/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: National University of Singapore
• Original Assignee: National University of Singapore
• Inventors: Godge, Mandar Radhakisan, Kumar, Prakash Pallathadka
• Granted Patent: US 9,290,777 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 800/290
• CPC Class Codes: C07K 14/415 from plants
• CPC Class Codes: C12N 15/8261 with agronomic (input) traits, e.g. crop yield
• CPC Class Codes: C12N 15/8295 Cytokinins
• CPC Class Codes: Y02A 40/146 Genetically Modified [GMO] plants, e.g. transgenic plants

Abstract

A method of modulating the expression of at least one trait in a plant, the method comprising the step of modulating the expression of at least one polypeptide by the plant, wherein the polypeptide is selected from the group consisting of: i) a polypeptide which comprises the amino acid sequence according to SEQ ID NO:1; ii) a polypeptide which comprises an amino acid sequence which is selected from the group consisting of any one or more of from amino acid 1 to amino acid 7, from amino acid 9 to amino acid 230, from amino acid 1 to amino acid 58, from amino acid 77 to amino acid 485, from amino acid 59 to amino acid 76, from amino acid 150 to amino acid 191, from amino acid 231 to amino acid 405, and from amino acid 406 to amino acid 438 of SEQ ID NO: 1, or at equivalent positions in a homologue thereof, and which is capable of modulating cytokinin signaling in the plant; iii) a polypeptide which comprises an amino acid sequence with at least 70% sequence identity to the amino acid sequence according to SEQ ID NO:1 and which is capable of modulating cytokinin signaling in the plant; and iv) a polypeptide which consists of an amino acid sequence according to SEQ ID NO:1, wherein the modulation of the expression of the polypeptide modulates the expression of at least one trait in the plant.

Claims

1. A method of modulating the expression of at least one trait in a plant, the method comprising the step of modulating the expression of at least one polypeptide by the plant, wherein the polypeptide is selected from the group consisting of:

i) a polypeptide which comprises the amino acid sequence according to SEQ ID NO;

1;

ii) a polypeptide which comprises an amino acid sequence which is selected from the group consisting of any one or more of from amino acid 9 to amino acid 230, from amino acid 1 to amino acid 58, from amino acid 77 to amino acid 485, from amino acid 59 to amino acid 76, from amino acid 231 to amino acid 405, and from amino acid 406 to amino acid 438 of SEQ ID NO;

1, or at equivalent positions in a homologue thereof, and which is capable of modulating cytokinin signaling in the plant;

iii) a polypeptide which comprises an amino acid sequence with at least 70% sequence identity to the amino acid sequence according to SEQ ID NO;

1 and which is capable of modulating cytokinin signaling in the plant; and

iv) a polypeptide which consists of an amino acid sequence according to SEQ ID NO;

1, or combinations thereof,

wherein the modulation of the expression of the polypeptide modulates the expression of at least one trait in the plant.

2. The method according to claim 1, wherein the step of modulating the expression of at least one polypeptide by the plant comprises introducing to one or more cells of the plant a polynucleotide which modulates the expression of the polypeptide.

3. The method according to claim 1, wherein the step of modulating the expression of the polypeptide comprises decreasing the expression of the polypeptide.

4. The method according to claim 3, wherein the step of decreasing the expression of the polypeptide by the plant comprises introducing to one or more cells of the plant a polynucleotide which decreases the expression of the polypeptide.

5. The method according to claim 4, wherein the polynucleotide is selected from the group consisting of:

i) an antisense polynucleotide which comprises the nucleic acid sequence according to SEQ ID NO;

15;

ii) an antisense polynucleotide which comprises at least 15 contiguous nucleic acid residues selected from the nucleic acid sequence according to SEQ ID NO;

15;

iii) an antisense polynucleotide which comprises at least 15 contiguous nucleic acid residues from a polynucleotide which is complementary to a nucleic acid sequence which encodes a polypeptide which comprises an amino acid sequence with at least 70% sequence identity to the amino acid sequence according to SEQ ID NO;

1;

iv) an RNA interference polynucleotide which comprises a nucleic acid sequence comprising at least 9 contiguous nucleic acid residues selected from a nucleic acid sequence which is complementary to a polynucleotide consisting of the nucleic acid sequence according to SEQ ID NO;

15; and

v) an antisense polynucleotide which consists of the nucleic acid sequence according to SEQ ID NO;

15.

6. The method according to claim 1, wherein the polypeptide comprises an amino acid sequence which has at least one of 80%, 85%, 90%, 95%, and 97.5% sequence identity to the amino acid sequence according to SEQ ID NO:

1 and which is capable of modulating cytokinin signaling in the plant.

13. The method of claim 1, wherein the at least one trait in a plant is selected from the group consisting of any one of plant height, plant biomass, apical bud development, branching, fertility, flowering, leaf area, senescence, seed germination, seed yield, seed weight, stem development, grain yield, tiller number, floral meristem development and root development.

14. The method according to claim 3, wherein the modulation of at least one trait is selected from the group consisting of any one of increased branching, increased seed yield, increased plant biomass, increased grain yield, increased number of tillers, increased leaf area, delayed seed germination, decreased apical dominance, delayed flowering, or combinations thereof in the plant relative to a plant of the same type in which the expression of the polypeptide has not been modulated.

7-12. -12. (canceled)

15. (canceled)

16. An isolated polynucleotide selected from the group consisting of:

i) an antisense polynucleotide which comprises the nucleic acid sequence according to SEQ ID NO;

15;

ii) an antisense polynucleotide which comprises at least 15 contiguous nucleic acid residues selected from the nucleic acid sequence according to SEQ ID NO;

15;

iii) an antisense polynucleotide which comprises at least 15 contiguous nucleic acid residues from a polynucleotide which is complementary to a nucleic acid sequence which encodes a polypeptide which comprises an amino acid sequence with at least 70% sequence identity to the amino acid sequence according to SEQ ID NO;

1;

iv) an RNA interfering polynucleotide comprising a nucleic acid sequence which comprises at least 9 contiguous nucleic acid residues selected from the nucleic acid sequence according to SEQ ID NO;

15; and

v) an antisense polynucleotide which consists of the nucleic acid sequence according to SEQ ID NO;

15;

wherein the polynucleotide is capable of decreasing the expression of a polypeptide which modulates at least one trait in a plant, or

vi) a polynucleotide which is complementary to any one of i) to v), or

vii) a polynucleotide which hybridizes under stringent conditions to any one of i) to v).

22. A method according to claim 21, wherein the polynucleotide in step (a) comprises an isolated polynucleotide according to claim 16.

33. Use of a plant transformed with a polynucleotide according to claim 16 for plant biomass production.

34. Use according to claim 33, wherein the plant is selected from the group consisting of oat, barley, wheat, rye, corn, rice, sorghum, millet, amaranth, reed grass, sweet grass, cane, bamboo, fodder grass, diamond grass and turf grass.

35. Use according to claim 33, wherein the plant biomass production is for biofuel production.

17-20. -20. (canceled)

21. A method of producing a transgenic plant comprising the steps of:

(a) providing a polynucleotide that modulates the expression of a polypeptide, wherein the polypeptide is selected from the group consisting of;

i) a polypeptide which comprises the amino acid sequence according to SEQ ID NO;

1;

ii) a polypeptide which comprises an amino acid sequence which is selected from the group consisting of any one or more of

from amino acid 9 to amino acid 230, from amino acid 1 to amino acid 58, from amino acid 77 to amino acid 485, from amino acid 59 to amino acid 76, from amino acid 231 to amino acid 405, and from amino acid 406 to amino acid 438 of SEQ ID NO;

1, or at equivalent positions in a homologue thereof, and which is capable of modulating cytokinin signaling in the plant;

iii) a polypeptide which comprises an amino acid sequence with at least 70% sequence identity to the amino acid sequence according to SEQ ID NO;

1 and which is capable of modulating cytokinin signaling in the plant; and

iv) a polypeptide which consists of an amino acid sequence according to SEQ ID NO;

1;

(b) transforming a plant, plant part or plant cell with the polynucleotide of step (a), and

(c) growing the transformed plant, plant part or plant cell to produce the transgenic plant.

24. A method according to claim 21, wherein the growing in step (c) is by culturing the transformed plant, plant part or plant cell under conditions which permit growth of the transformed plant, plant part or plant cell.

25. A method according to claim 21, wherein the plant part is selected from the group consisting of root, stem, leaf, bud, flower, shoot, seed and branch.

28. The method of claim 21, wherein said transgenic plant is selected from the group consisting of oat, barley, wheat, rye, corn, rice, sorghum, millet, amaranth, reed grass, sweet grass, cane, bamboo, fodder grass, diamond grass and turf grass.

29. The method of claim 21, wherein said transgenic plant is capable of producing fertile plants.

23. (canceled)

26-27. -27. (canceled)

30-32. -32. (canceled)

36-38. -38. (canceled)