Preparation of Organisms with Faster Growth and/Or Higher Yield

Abstract

A method for preparing a nonhuman organism with faster growth and/or increased yield in comparison with a reference organism, which method comprises increasing the activity of L450 in said organism or in one or parts thereof in comparison with a reference organism.

1 .- 29 . (canceled) 
     
     
         30 . A method for preparing a transgenic plant with faster growth and/or increased yield, which method comprises transfecting a plant with a transgenic nucleic acid construct and growing the plant, wherein in the transgenic plant or in one or more parts thereof:
 (a) the expression of L450 polypeptide is increased;   (b) the stability of L450 RNA or L450 polypeptide is increased; or   (c) the specific activity of L450 polypeptide is increased   
       in comparison with a reference plant of the same species that lacks the transgenic nucleic acid construct; 
       further wherein the L450 polypeptide is selected from the group consisting of (i) an L450 polypeptide comprising the amino acid sequence of SEQ ID NO: 46 wherein 0 of the amino acid positions indicated by a capital letter are replaced by an x, 20 or less of the amino acid positions indicated by a lower case letter are replaced by an x, and 20 or less amino acids are inserted into the consensus sequence and (ii) an L450 polypeptide at least 80% identical to the L450 polypeptide of (i); and 
       further wherein the method results in faster growth and/or increased yield as compared to the reference plant. 
     
     
         31 . The method of  claim 30  wherein the L450 polypeptide is selected from the group consisting of:
 (i) an L450 polypeptide comprising the amino acid sequence of SEQ ID NO: 46 wherein 0 of the amino acid positions indicated by a capital letter are replaced by an x, 20 or less of the amino acid positions indicated by a lower case letter are replaced by an x, and 20 or less amino acids are inserted into the consensus sequence and   (ii) an L450 polypeptide at least 90% identical to the L450 polypeptide of (i).   
     
     
         32 . The method of  claim 30  wherein the L450 polypeptide comprises the amino acid sequence of SEQ ID NO: 46 wherein 0 of the amino acid positions indicated by a capital letter are replaced by an x, 20 or less of the amino acid positions indicated by a lower case letter are replaced by an x, and 20 or less amino acids are inserted into the consensus sequence. 
     
     
         33 . The method of  claim 30  wherein the L450 polypeptide comprises (i) the amino acid sequence of SEQ ID NO:47 wherein 0 of the amino acid positions indicated by a capital letter are replaced with an x and 10 or less of the lower case letters are replaced by an x and (ii) the amino acid sequence of SEQ ID NO: 48 wherein 0 of the amino acid positions indicated by a capital letter are replaced with an x and 10 or less of the amino acid positions indicated by a lower case letter are replaced by an x. 
     
     
         34 . The method of  claim 30  wherein the expression of the L450 polypeptide is increased. 
     
     
         35 . The method of  claim 30  wherein the yield is increased. 
     
     
         36 . A method for increasing plant growth and/or yield comprising growing a transgenic plant that comprises a transgenic nucleic acid construct that when incorporated into the plant genome or when expressed in the plant increases the activity of L450 by
 (a) increasing the expression of L450 polypeptide;   (b) increasing the stability of L450 RNA or L450 polypeptide; or   (c) increasing the specific activity of L450 polypeptide   
       in the transgenic plant or in one or more parts thereof in comparison with a reference plant of the same species that lacks the transgenic nucleic acid construct, wherein the L450 polypeptide is selected from the group consisting of:
 (i) an L450 polypeptide comprising the amino acid sequence of SEQ ID NO: 46 wherein 0 of the amino acid positions indicated by a capital letter are replaced by an x, 20 or less of the amino acid positions indicated by a lower case letter are replaced by an x, and 20 or less amino acids are inserted into the consensus sequence; and 
 (ii) an L450 polypeptide at least 80% identical to the L450 polypeptide of (i); 
 
       and further wherein the method results in increased plant growth and/or yield as compared to the reference plant. 
     
     
         37 . The method of  claim 36  wherein the L450 polypeptide is selected from the group consisting of:
 (i) an L450 polypeptide comprising the amino acid sequence of SEQ ID NO: 46 wherein 0 of the amino acid positions indicated by a capital letter are replaced by an x, 20 or less of the amino acid positions indicated by a lower case letter are replaced by an x, and 20 or less amino acids are inserted into the consensus sequence and   (ii) an L450 polypeptide at least 90% identical to the L450 polypeptide of (i).   
     
     
         38 . The method of  claim 36  wherein the L450 polypeptide comprises the amino acid sequence of SEQ ID NO: 46 wherein 0 of the amino acid positions indicated by a capital letter are replaced by an x, 20 or less of the amino acid positions indicated by a lower case letter are replaced by an x, and 20 or less amino acids are inserted into the consensus sequence. 
     
     
         39 . The method of  claim 36  wherein the L450 polypeptide comprises (i) the amino acid sequence of SEQ ID NO:47 wherein 0 of the amino acid positions indicated by a capital letter are replaced with an x and 10 or less of the lower case letters are replaced by an x and (ii) the amino acid sequence of SEQ ID NO: 48 wherein 0 of the amino acid positions indicated by a capital letter are replaced with an x and 10 or less of the amino acid positions indicated by a lower case letter are replaced by an x. 
     
     
         40 . The method of  claim 36  wherein the expression of the L450 polypeptide is increased. 
     
     
         41 . The method of  claim 36  wherein the yield is increased. 
     
     
         42 . A method for preparing a transgenic plant with faster growth and/or increased yield, which method comprises transfecting a plant with a transgenic nucleic acid construct and growing the plant, wherein in the transgenic plant or in one or more parts thereof
 (a) the expression of L450 polypeptide is increased;   (b) the stability of L450 RNA or L450 polypeptide is increased; or   (c) the specific activity of L450 polypeptide is increased   
       in comparison with a reference plant of the same species that lacks the transgenic nucleic acid construct; 
       further wherein the L450 polypeptide comprises (i) the amino acid sequence of SEQ ID NO:47 wherein 0 of the amino acid positions indicated by a capital letter are replaced with an x and 10 or less of the lower case letters are replaced by an x and (ii) the amino acid sequence of SEQ ID NO: 48 wherein 0 of the amino acid positions indicated by a capital letter are replaced with an x and 10 or less of the amino acid positions indicated by a lower case letter are replaced by an x; and 
       further wherein the method results in faster growth and/or increased yield as compared to the reference plant. 
     
     
         43 . The method of  claim 42  wherein the expression of the L450 polypeptide is increased. 
     
     
         44 . The method of  claim 42  wherein the yield is increased. 
     
     
         45 . A method for increasing plant growth and/or yield comprising growing a transgenic plant that comprises a transgenic nucleic acid construct that when incorporated into the plant genome or when expressed in the plant increases the activity of L450 by
 (a) increasing the expression of L450 polypeptide;   (b) increasing the stability of L450 RNA or L450 polypeptide; or   (c) increasing the specific activity of L450 polypeptide   
       in the transgenic plant or in one or more parts thereof in comparison with a reference plant of the same species that lacks the transgenic nucleic acid construct, 
       wherein the L450 polypeptide comprises (i) the amino acid sequence of SEQ ID NO:47 wherein 0 of the amino acid positions indicated by a capital letter are replaced with an x and 10 or less of the lower case letters are replaced by an x and (ii) the amino acid sequence of SEQ ID NO: 48 wherein 0 of the amino acid positions indicated by a capital letter are replaced with an x and 10 or less of the amino acid positions indicated by a lower case letter are replaced by an x, 
       and further wherein the method results in increased plant growth and/or yield as compared to the reference plant. 
     
     
         46 . The method of  claim 45  wherein the expression of the L450 polypeptide is increased. 
     
     
         47 . The method of  claim 45  wherein the yield is increased.