Regulatory sequences for expressing gene products in plant reproductive tissue

Abstract

Expression cassettes causing specific regulatory control of transgene expression in plants, wherein the expression cassettes include regulatory sequences from the MADS gene family for expression of recombinant gene products in the reproductive tissue of plants for the purpose of generating abiotic stress tolerant plants.

1 ) A method of increasing plant yield, the method comprising;
 a) inserting an expression cassette into a plant cell comprising a trehalose metabolism gene operably linked to a regulatory sequence wherein said regulatory sequence confers expression of said trehalose metabolism gene in plant reproductive tissue;   b) regenerating transgenic plants from the plant cell of a); and   c) producing plant with increased yield.   
     
     
         2 ) The method of  claim 1 , wherein the plant reproductive tissue is maternal plant reproductive tissue. 
     
     
         3 ) The method of  claim 2 , wherein the maternal plant reproductive tissue is spikelet tissue. 
     
     
         4 ) The method of  claim 1 , wherein the trehalose metabolism gene is a trehalose-6-phosphate phosphatase gene. 
     
     
         5 ) The method of  claim 4 , wherein the trehalose-6-phospate phosphatase nucleotide sequence comprises SEQ ID NO: 531. 
     
     
         6 ) The method of  claim 1 , wherein the regulatory sequence is an OsMADs promoter. 
     
     
         7 ) The method of  claim 6 , wherein the OsMADS promoter is an OsMADS6 promoter. 
     
     
         8 ) The method of  claim 7 , wherein the OsMADS6 promoter comprises SEQ ID NO: 12 
     
     
         9 ) The method of  claim 1 , wherein the expression cassette comprises both an OsMADS6 promoter and trehalose-6-phosphate phosphatase gene. 
     
     
         10 ) The method of  claim 1 , wherein the expression cassette comprises both SEQ ID NO: 531 and SEQ ID NO: 12. 
     
     
         11 ) The method of  claim 1 , wherein the plant is a monocot. 
     
     
         12 ) The method of  claim 1 , wherein the plant is a dicot. 
     
     
         13 ) The method of  claim 1 , wherein the plant is selected from the group consisting of sugarcane, sugarbeet, sorghum, wheat, rice, oat, barley and maize. 
     
     
         14 ) The method of  claim 1 , wherein increased plant yield corresponds to increased grain yield relative to control plants not comprising said expression cassette. 
     
     
         15 ) The method of  claim 1 , wherein the trehalose metabolism gene encodes a polypeptide having 90%, 95%, 98%, 99% or 100% sequence identity to SEQ ID NO: 532 
     
     
         16 ) The method of  claim 1 , wherein the trehalose metabolism gene encodes a polypeptide comprising SEQ ID NO: 532. 
     
     
         17 ) A method of increasing abiotic stress tolerance in a plant, the method comprising:
 a) inserting an expression cassette into a plant cell comprising a trehalose metabolism gene operably linked to a regulatory sequence wherein said regulatory sequence confers expression of said trehalose metabolism gene in plant reproductive tissue;   b) regenerating transgenic plants from the plant cell of a); and   c) producing plant with increased abiotic stress tolerance.   
     
     
         18 ) The method of  claim 17 , wherein the plant reproductive tissue is maternal plant reproductive tissue. 
     
     
         19 ) The method of  claim 18 , wherein the maternal plant reproductive tissue is spikelet tissue. 
     
     
         20 ) The method of  claim 17 , wherein the trehalose metabolism gene is a trehalose-6-phosphate phosphatase gene. 
     
     
         21 ) The method of  claim 20 , wherein the trehalose-6-phospate phosphatase nucleotide sequence comprises SEQ ID NO: 531. 
     
     
         22 ) The method of  claim 17 , wherein the regulatory sequence is a OsMADs promoter. 
     
     
         23 ) The method of  claim 22 , wherein the OsMADS promoter is a OsMADS6 promoter. 
     
     
         24 ) The method of  claim 23 , wherein the OsMADS6 promoter comprises SEQ ID NO: 12 
     
     
         25 ) The method of  claim 17 , wherein the expression cassette comprises both an OsMADS6 promoter and trehalose-6-phosphate phosphatase gene. 
     
     
         26 ) The method of  claim 17 , wherein the expression cassette comprises both SEQ ID NO: 531 and SEQ ID NO: 12. 
     
     
         27 ) The method of  claim 17 , wherein the plant is a monocot. 
     
     
         28 ) The method of  claim 17 , wherein the plant is a dicot. 
     
     
         29 ) The method of  claim 17 , wherein the plant is selected from the group consisting of sugarcane, sugarbeet, sorghum, wheat, rice, oat, barley and maize. 
     
     
         30 ) The method of  claim 17 , wherein increased abiotic stress corresponds to increased grain yield relative to control plants not comprising said expression cassette. 
     
     
         31 ) The method of  claim 17 , wherein the trehalose metabolism gene encodes a polypeptide having 90%, 95%, 98%, 99% or 100% sequence identity to SEQ ID NO: 532. 
     
     
         32 ) The method of  claim 17 , wherein the trehalose metabolism gene encodes a polypeptide comprising SEQ ID NO: 532. 
     
     
         33 ) A polypeptide having 90%, 95%, 98%, 99% or 100% sequence identity to SEQ ID NO: 532, wherein said polypeptide has trehalose 6-phosphate phosphatase activity. 
     
     
         34 ) A plant comprising a polypeptide having 90%, 95%, 98%, 99% or 100% sequence identity to SEQ ID NO: 532.