Methods of using viral replicase polynucleotides and polypeptides

Abstract

The invention provides novel methods of using viral replicase polypeptides and polynucleotides. Included are methods for modulating endoreduplication and increasing crop yield.

What is claimed is:  
     
         1 . A method for increasing endoreduplication in a plant comprising stably transforming a plant cell with an isolated plant geminivirus replicase polynucleotide operably linked to a promoter capable of driving expression in the plant cell, growing the plant cell to produce a transformed plant, wherein the transformed plant exhibits increased endoreduplication compared to a corresponding non-transformed plant.  
     
     
         2 . The method of  claim 1  wherein the polynucleotide is wheat dwarf virus Replicase.  
     
     
         3 . The method of  claim 1  wherein the plant cell is from a monocot or a dicot plant.  
     
     
         4 . The method of  claim 3  wherein the plant cell is from corn, soybean, sunflower, sorghum, canola, wheat, alfalfa, cotton, rice, barley, potato, tomato, and millet.  
     
     
         5 . A method for increasing crop yield comprising stably transforming a plant cell with an isolated plant geminivirus replicase polynucleotide operably linked to a promoter capable of driving expression in the plant cell, growing the transformed plant cell to produce a transformed plant, wherein the transformed plant exhibits increased yield compared to a corresponding non-transformed plant.  
     
     
         6 . The method of  claim 5  wherein the polynucleotide is wheat dwarf virus Replicase.  
     
     
         7 . The method of  claim 5  wherein the plant cell is a monocot or a dicot.  
     
     
         8 . The method of  claim 7  wherein the plant cell is from corn, soybean, sunflower, sorghum, canola, wheat, alfalfa, cotton, rice, barley, potato, tomato, and millet.  
     
     
         9 . The method of  claim 5  wherein the promoter is inducible, or regulated in a tissue specific manner, or developmentally or temporally regulated.