Gene for increasing the production of plant biomass and/or seeds and method for use thereof

Abstract

A technique by which the production of plant biomass can be significantly increased is provided. A protein phosphatase 2C gene having 3 consensus sequences comprising the amino acid sequences shown in SEQ ID NOS: 1-3 from the N-terminal side in such order is over-expressed.

1 . A plant, in which a gene encoding protein phosphatase 2C having 3 consensus sequences comprising the amino acid sequences shown in SEQ ID NOS: 1-3 in such order from the N-terminal side is over-expressed. 
     
     
         2 . The plant according to  claim 1 , wherein the gene encoding protein phosphatase 2C is at least one gene selected from the group consisting of At1g03590-AtPP2C6-6, At1g16220, At1g79630, At5g01700, At3g02750, At5g36250, At5g26010, At4g32950, At3g16800, At3g05640, At5g27930-AtPP2C6-7, At2g20050, and At3g06270, or a gene functionally equivalent to the gene. 
     
     
         3 . The plant according to  claim 1 , wherein the gene encoding protein phosphatase 2C encodes any one of the following proteins (a) to (c):
 (a) a protein comprising an amino acid sequence selected from the group consisting of SEQ ID NOS: 5, 7, 36, 42, and 48;   (b) a protein comprising an amino acid sequence that has a deletion, a substitution, an addition, or an insertion of one or a plurality of amino acids with respect to an amino acid sequence selected from the group consisting of SEQ ID NOS: 5, 7, 36, 42, and 48 and having protein phosphatase 2C activity; and   (c) a protein that is encoded by a polynucleotide hybridizing under stringent conditions to a polynucleotide comprising a nucleotide sequence complementary to a nucleotide sequence selected from the group consisting of SEQ ID NOS: 4, 6, 35, 41, and 47 and has protein phosphatase 2C activity.   
     
     
         4 . The plant according to  claim 2 , wherein the functionally equivalent gene is a protein phosphatase 2C gene from an organism other than  Arabidopsis thaliana.    
     
     
         5 . The plant according to  claim 4 , wherein an organism other than  Arabidopsis thaliana  is at least one type of organism selected from the group consisting of rice ( Oryza sativa ), black cottonwood ( Populus trichocarpa ), european grape ( Vitis vinerfera ),  Medicago truncatula  ( Medicago truncatula ), alfalfa ( Medicago sativa ),  Physcomitrella patens  ( Physcomitrella patens ), ice plant ( Mesembryanthemum crystallinum ),  Chlamydomonas reinhardtii  ( Chlamydomonas reinhardtii ), corn ( Zea mays ), rapeseed ( Brassica rapa ), tomato ( Solanum lycopersicum ), monkey flower ( Mimulus guttatus ), and monocellular red alga ( Cyanidioschyzon merolae ). 
     
     
         6 - 13 . (canceled) 
     
     
         14 . A method for increasing the production of biomass and/or seeds, by which a gene encoding protein phosphatase 2C having 3 consensus sequences comprising the amino acid sequences shown in SEQ ID NOS: 1-3 from the N-terminal side in such order is over-expressed by a plant. 
     
     
         15 . The method according to  claim 14 , wherein the gene encoding protein phosphatase 2C is at least one gene selected from the group consisting of At1g03590-AtPP2C6-6, At1g16220, At1g79630, At5g01700, At3g02750, At5g36250, At5g26010, At4g32950, At3g16800, At3g05640, At5g27930-AtPP2C6-7, At2g20050, and At3g06270, or a gene functionally equivalent to the gene. 
     
     
         16 . The method according to  claim 14 , wherein the gene encoding protein phosphatase 2C encodes any one of the following proteins (a) to (c):
 (a) a protein comprising an amino acid sequence selected from the group consisting of SEQ ID NOS: 5, 7, 36, 42, and 48;   (b) a protein comprising an amino acid sequence that has a deletion, a substitution, an addition, or an insertion of one or a plurality of amino acids with respect to an amino acid sequence selected from the group consisting of SEQ ID NOS: 5, 7, 36, 42, and 48 and having protein phosphatase 2C activity; and   (c) a protein that is encoded by a polynucleotide hybridizing under stringent conditions to a polynucleotide comprising a nucleotide sequence complementary to a nucleotide sequence selected from the group consisting of SEQ ID NOS: 4, 6, 35, 41, and 47 and has protein phosphatase 2C activity.   
     
     
         17 . The method according to  claim 15 , wherein the functionally equivalent gene is a protein phosphatase 2C gene from an organism other than  Arabidopsis thaliana.    
     
     
         18 . The method according to  claim 17 , wherein an organism other than  Arabidopsis thaliana  is at least one type of organism selected from the group consisting of rice ( Oryza sativa ), black cottonwood ( Populus trichocarpa ), european grape ( Vitis vinerfera ),  Medicago truncatula  ( Medicago truncatula ), alfalfa ( Medicago sativa ),  Physcomitrella patens  ( Physcomitrella patens ), ice plant ( Mesembryanthemum crystallinum ),  Chlamydomonas reinhardtii  ( Chlamydomonas reinhardtii ), corn ( Zea mays ), rapeseed ( Brassica rapa ), tomato ( Solanum lycopersicum ), monkey flower ( Mimulus guttatus ), and monocellular red alga ( Cyanidioschyzon merolae ). 
     
     
         19 - 26 . (canceled) 
     
     
         27 . A method for producing a plant, comprising the steps of:
 preparing a transformed plant in which a gene encoding protein phosphatase 2C having 3 consensus sequences comprising the amino acid sequences shown in SEQ ID NOS: 1-3 from the N-terminal side in such order is over-expressed; and   measuring the amount of biomass and/or seeds of a progeny plant of the transformed plant and then selecting a line with significantly improved production of biomass and/or seeds.   
     
     
         28 . The production method according to  claim 27 , wherein the gene encoding protein phosphatase 2C is at least one gene selected from the group consisting of At1g03590-AtPP2C6-6, At1g16220, At1g79630, At5g01700, At3g02750, At5g36250, At5g26010, At4g32950, At3g16800, At3g05640, At5g27930-AtPP2C6-7, At2g20050, and At3g06270, or a gene functionally equivalent to the gene. 
     
     
         29 . The production method according to  claim 27 , wherein the gene encoding protein phosphatase 2C encodes any one of the following proteins (a) to (c):
 (a) a protein comprising an amino acid sequence selected from the group consisting of SEQ ID NOS: 5, 7, 36, 42, and 48;   (b) a protein comprising an amino acid sequence that has a deletion, a substitution, an addition, or an insertion of one or a plurality of amino acids with respect to an amino acid sequence selected from the group consisting of SEQ ID NOS: 5, 7, 36, 42, and 48 and having protein phosphatase 2C activity; and   (c) a protein that is encoded by a polynucleotide hybridizing under stringent conditions to a polynucleotide comprising a nucleotide sequence complementary to a nucleotide sequence selected from the group consisting of SEQ ID NOS: 4, 6, 35, 41, and 47 and has protein phosphatase 2C activity.   
     
     
         30 . The production method according to  claim 28 , wherein the functionally equivalent gene is a protein phosphatase 2C gene from an organism other than  Arabidopsis thaliana.    
     
     
         31 . The production method according to  claim 30 , wherein an organism other than  Arabidopsis thaliana  is at least one type of organism selected from the group consisting of rice ( Oryza sativa ), black cottonwood ( Populus trichocarpa ), european grape ( Vitis vinerfera ),  Medicago truncatula  ( Medicago truncatula ), alfalfa ( Medicago sativa ),  Physcomitrella patens  ( Physcomitrella patens ), ice plant ( Mesembryanthemum crystallinum ),  Chlamydomonas reinhardtii  ( Chlamydomonas reinhardtii ), corn ( Zea mays ), rapeseed ( Brassica rapa ), tomato ( Solanum lycopersicum ), monkey flower ( Mimulus guttatus ), and monocellular red alga ( Cyanidioschyzon merolae ). 
     
     
         32 - 39 . (canceled)