Phosphate use efficiency

Abstract

Isolated polynucleotides and polypeptides encoded thereby are described, together with the use of those products for making transgenic plants with increased tolerance to pH or increased phosphorus efficiency.

1 . An isolated nucleic acid molecule comprising:
 a) a nucleic acid having a nucleotide sequence which encodes an amino acid sequence exhibiting at least 85% sequence identity to any one of those sequences present in the Sequence Listing;   b) a nucleic acid which is a complement of a nucleotide sequence according to paragraph (a);   (c) a nucleic acid which is the reverse of the nucleotide sequence according to subparagraph (a), such that the reverse nucleotide sequence has a sequence order which is the reverse of the sequence order of the nucleotide sequence according to subparagraph (a); or   (d) a nucleic acid capable of hybridizing to a nucleic acid according to any one of paragraphs (a)-(c), under conditions that permit formation of a nucleic acid duplex at a temperature from about 40° C. and 48° C. below the melting temperature of the nucleic acid duplex.   
     
     
         2 . The isolated nucleic acid molecule according to  claim 1 , which has the nucleotide sequence according to any one of those sequences present in the Sequence Listing. 
     
     
         3 . The isolated nucleic acid molecule according to  claim 1 , wherein said amino acid sequence comprises a polypeptide according to any one of the consensus sequences set forth in Tables 1-5, 2-6, 3-5 or 4-1. 
     
     
         4 . The isolated nucleic acid molecule according to  claim 1 , wherein said amino acid sequence has a sequence according to any one of those sequences present in the Sequence Listing. 
     
     
         5 . A vector construct comprising:
 a) a first nucleic acid having a regulatory sequence capable of causing transcription and/or translation in a plant; and   b) a second nucleic acid having the sequence of the isolated nucleic acid molecule according to  claim 1 ;
 wherein said first and second nucleic acids are operably linked and 
 wherein said second nucleic acid is heterologous to any element in said vector construct. 
   
     
     
         6 . The vector construct according to  claim 5 , wherein said first nucleic acid is native to said second nucleic acid. 
     
     
         7 . The vector construct according to  claim 5 , wherein said first nucleic acid is heterologous to said second nucleic acid. 
     
     
         8 . A host cell comprising an isolated nucleic acid molecule according to  claim 1  wherein said nucleic acid molecule is flanked by exogenous sequence. 
     
     
         9 . A host cell comprising a vector construct according to  claim 5 . 
     
     
         10 . An isolated polypeptide comprising an amino acid sequence exhibiting at least 85% sequence identity to any of those sequences present in the Sequence Listing. 
     
     
         11 . A method of introducing an isolated nucleic acid into a host cell comprising:
 a) providing an isolated nucleic acid molecule according to  claim 1 ; and   b) contacting said isolated nucleic acid with said host cell under conditions that permit insertion of said nucleic acid into said host cell.   
     
     
         12 . A method of transforming a host cell that comprises contacting a host cell with a vector construct according to  claim 5 . 
     
     
         13 . A method for detecting a nucleic acid in a sample which comprises:
 a) providing an isolated nucleic acid molecule according to  claim 1 ;   b) contacting said isolated nucleic acid molecule with a sample under conditions which permit a comparison of the sequence of said isolated nucleic acid molecule with the sequence of DNA in said sample; and   c) analyzing the result of said comparison.   
     
     
         14 . A plant, plant cell, plant material or seed of a plant which comprises a nucleic acid molecule according to  claim 1  which is exogenous or heterologous to said plant or plant cell. 
     
     
         15 . A plant, plant cell, plant material or seed of a plant which comprises a vector construct according to  claim 5 . 
     
     
         16 . A plant that has been regenerated from a plant cell or seed according to  claim 14 . 
     
     
         17 . A plant, plant cell, plant material or seed of a plant which comprises a nucleic acid molecule according to  claim 1 , wherein said plant has improved pH tolerance or phosphate use efficiency characteristics as compared to a wild-type plant cultivated under the same conditions. 
     
     
         18 . A method for increasing pH tolerance or phosphate use efficiency in a plant comprising transforming a plant with a nucleic acid sequence according to  claim 1 . 
     
     
         19 . A transgenic plant having a gene construct comprising a nucleic acid encoding a pH tolerance or phosphate use efficiency component operably linked to a plant promoter so that the pH tolerance or phosphate use efficiency component is ectopically overexpressed in the transgenic plant, and the transgenic plant exhibits:
 i) faster rate of growth,   ii) greater fresh or dry weight at maturation,   iii) greater fruit or seed yield,   iv) higher tolerance to pH,   v) higher tolerance to low phosphate concentration, or   vi) higher tolerance to low nitrogen concentration   than a progenitor plant which does not contain the polynucleotide construct, when the transgenic plant and the progenitor plant are cultivated under identical environmental conditions, wherein the pH or phosphate use efficiency component is any one of the polypeptides set forth in the Sequence Listing, or any one of the consensus sequences in  claim 3 .   
     
     
         20 . A method for pH tolerance or phosphate use efficiency in a plant which comprises transforming a plant with a nucleic acid sequence that encodes a polypeptide that comprises at least one of the following:
 (a) an amino acid sequence that comprises the residues at positions 29-154 of the consensus sequence of Table 1-5,   (b) an amino acid sequence that comprises the residues at positions 18-128 of the consensus sequence of Table 2-6,   (c) an amino acid sequence that comprises the residues at positions 57-230 of the consensus sequence of Table 3-5,   (d) an amino acid sequence that comprises the residues at positions 234-248 of the consensus sequence of Table 3-5, and   (e) an amino acid sequence that comprises the residues at positions 10-276 of the consensus sequence of Table 4-1.   
     
     
         21 . A plant, plant cell, plant material of a plant with improved pH tolerance or phosphate use efficiency characteristics as compared to a wild-type plant cultivated under the same conditions which comprises a nucleic acid sequence that encodes a polypeptide that comprises at least one of the following:
 (a) an amino acid sequence that comprises the residues at positions 29-154 of the consensus sequence of Table 1-5,   (b) an amino acid sequence that comprises the residues at positions 18-128 of the consensus sequence of Table 2-6,   (c) an amino acid sequence that comprises the residues at positions 57-230 of the consensus sequence of Table 3-5,   (d) an amino acid sequence that comprises the residues at positions 234-248 of the consensus sequence of Table 3-5, and   (e) an amino acid sequence that comprises the residues at positions 10-276 of the consensus sequence of Table 4-1.