Sugar and lipid metabolism regulators in plants vi

Abstract

Isolated nucleic acids and proteins associated with lipid and sugar metabolism regulation are provided. In particular, lipid metabolism proteins (LMP) and encoding nucleic acids originating from Arabidopsis thaliana, Brassica napus , and Helianthus annuus are provided. The nucleic acids and proteins are used in methods of producing transgenic plants and modulating levels of seed storage compounds. Preferably, the seed storage compounds are lipids, fatty acids, starches, or seed storage proteins.

1 . An isolated lipid metabolism protein (LMP) nucleic acid comprising a polynucleotide sequence selected from the group consisting of:
 a) the polynucleotide sequence of SEQ ID NO: 11 or SEQ ID NO: 123,   b) a polynucleotide sequence encoding the polypeptide of SEQ ID NO: 12,   c) a polynucleotide sequence having at least 90% sequence identity to the polynucleotide of SEQ ID NO: 11 or SEQ ID NO: 123,   d) a polynucleotide sequence encoding a polypeptide having at least 90% sequence identity to the polypeptide of SEQ ID NO: 12,   e) a polynucleotide sequence that hybridizes under stringent conditions to the full-length polynucleotide sequence of a) or b) above, wherein the stringent conditions comprise hybridization in a 6× sodium chloride/sodium citrate (6×SSC) solution at 65° C., and   f) a polynucleotide sequence that is complementary to the full-length polynucleotide sequence of a) or b) above,   wherein expression of said polynucleotide in a plant results in an increase in total fatty acids in seed of said plant.   
     
     
         2 . The isolated LMP nucleic acid of  claim 1 , wherein the polynucleotide sequence is shown in SEQ ID NO: 11 or SEQ ID NO: 123, or the polynucleotide sequence encodes the polypeptide sequence as shown in SEQ ID NO: 12. 
     
     
         3 . The isolated LMP nucleic acid of  claim 1 , wherein the nucleic acid comprises a polynucleotide sequence having at least 90% sequence identity to the polynucleotide of SEQ ID NO: 11 or SEQ ID NO: 123, or encoding a polypeptide having at least 90% identity to the polypeptide of SEQ ID NO: 12, wherein expression of said polynucleotide in a plant results in an increase in total fatty acids in seed of said plant. 
     
     
         4 . An expression vector comprising the LMP nucleic acid of  claim 1 . 
     
     
         5 . An expression vector comprising an LMP nucleic acid, wherein the nucleic acid comprises a polynucleotide sequence selected from the group consisting of:
 a) the polynucleotide sequence of SEQ ID NO: 11 or SEQ ID NO: 123,   b) a polynucleotide sequence encoding the polypeptide of SEQ ID NO: 12,   c) a polynucleotide sequence having at least 90% sequence identity to the polynucleotide of SEQ ID NO: 11 or SEQ ID NO: 123, and   d) a polynucleotide sequence encoding a polypeptide having at least 90% sequence identity to the polypeptide of SEQ ID NO: 12,   wherein expression of said polynucleotide in a plant results in an increase in total fatty acids in seed of said plant.   
     
     
         6 . The expression vector of  claim 4 , wherein the LMP nucleic acid is operatively linked to a heterologous promoter selected from the group consisting of a seed-specific promoter, a root-specific promoter, and a non-tissue-specific promoter. 
     
     
         7 . A transgenic plant cell comprising the expression vector of  claim 4 . 
     
     
         8 . A transgenic plant comprising the expression vector of  claim 4 . 
     
     
         9 . The transgenic plant of  claim 8 , wherein the plant is a dicotyledonous plant. 
     
     
         10 . The transgenic plant of  claim 8 , wherein the plant is a monocotyledonous plant. 
     
     
         11 . The transgenic plant of  claim 8 , wherein the plant is selected from the group consisting of rapeseed, canola, linseed, soybean, sunflower, maize, oat, rye, barley, wheat, sugarbeet, tagetes, cotton, oil palm, coconut palm, flax, castor and peanut. 
     
     
         12 . A seed produced by the transgenic plant of  claim 8 , wherein the plant is true breeding for an increased level of total fatty acids in the seeds of the plant as compared to the seeds of a control plant, and wherein the control plant is of the same ecotype as the transgenic plant but has not been transformed with the LMP nucleic acid, and wherein said seed comprises said expression vector. 
     
     
         13 . A method of producing a transgenic plant having an increased level of total fatty acids in the seeds of said plant, said method comprising the steps of transforming a plant cell with the expression vector of  claim 4  and generating from the plant cell a transgenic plant having an increased level of total fatty acids in the seeds. 
     
     
         14 . The method of  claim 13 , wherein the increased level of total fatty acids is due to the overexpression of the LMP nucleic acid, wherein said nucleic acid is operatively linked to a promoter selected from the group consisting of constitutive promoters, inducible promoters, tissue-specific promoters, seed-specific promoters, and root-specific promoters. 
     
     
         15 . The method of  claim 13 , wherein the LMP nucleic acid encodes a polypeptide comprising a domain selected from the group consisting of an RNA binding domain, a signal transduction domain, a lipid metabolism domain, an oxidoreductase domain, a fatty acid metabolism domain, a protein synthesis domain, an alkaloid biosynthesis domain, a biosynthesis precursor supply domain, and an intracellular transport domain. 
     
     
         16 . The method of  claim 13 , wherein the polynucleotide sequence is shown in SEQ ID NO: 11 or SEQ ID NO: 123, or the polynucleotide sequence encodes the polypeptide sequence as shown in SEQ ID NO: 12. 
     
     
         17 . The method of  claim 13 , wherein the nucleic acid comprises a polynucleotide sequence having at least 90% sequence identity to the polynucleotide of SEQ ID NO: 11 or SEQ ID NO: 123, or encoding a polypeptide having at least 90% identity to the polypeptide of SEQ ID NO: 12, wherein expression of said polynucleotide in a plant results in an increase in total fatty acids in seed of said plant. 
     
     
         18 . A method of increasing the level of total fatty acids in the seeds of a plant comprising increasing the expression of an LMP nucleic acid in the plant by transforming the plant with the expression vector of  claim 4 . 
     
     
         19 . The method of  claim 18 , the polynucleotide sequence is shown in SEQ ID NO: 11 or SEQ ID NO: 123, or the polynucleotide sequence encodes the polypeptide sequence as shown in SEQ ID NO: 12. 
     
     
         20 . The method of  claim 18 , wherein the nucleic acid comprises a polynucleotide sequence having at least 90% sequence identity to the polynucleotide of SEQ ID NO: 11 or SEQ ID NO: 123, or encoding a polypeptide having at least 90% identity to the polypeptide of SEQ ID NO: 12, wherein expression of said polynucleotide in a plant results in an increase in total fatty acids in seed of said plant.