Regulation of Cotton Fiber Growth by Extracellular Nucleotides and Ectoapyrases

Abstract

The present invention includes compositions and methods of modulating the length of one or more cotton fibers in a plant by contacting the plant or tissue derived therefrom with at least one of: a nucleotide; a modulator of ectoapyrase gene transcription; or an anti-ectoapyrase antibody or fragments thereof, at a concentration that modulates growth of one or more cotton fibers.

1 . A method of modulating plant fiber growth comprising:
 contacting a plant cell with one or more extracellular exogenous nucleotides selected from di-nucleotides, tri-nucleotides, or poorly-hydrolyzable nucleotides at a concentration that modulates growth of one or more cotton fibers.   
     
     
         2 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the one or more poorly-hydrolyzable nucleotides comprise thio, methylene, amide or methyl-modified ATP, ADP, UTP, UDP, CTP, CDP, TTP, TDP, GTP, GDP, dATP, dADP, dUTP, dUDP, dCTP, dCDP, dTTP, dTDP, dGTP, dGDP, analogues and combinations thereof. 
     
     
         3 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the one or more extracellular nucleotides are provided in a concentration that increases growth of the one or more cotton fibers. 
     
     
         4 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the one or more extracellular nucleotides are provided in a concentration that decreases growth of the one or more cotton fibers. 
     
     
         5 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the one or more extracellular nucleotides are provided at a concentration between 1 μM and 100 μM to increase the growth of the one or more cotton fibers. 
     
     
         6 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the one or more extracellular nucleotides are provided at a concentration between 125 μM and 200 μM to decrease the growth of the one or more cotton fibers. 
     
     
         7 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the one or more extracellular nucleotides are provided at a concentration between 10 μM and 75 μM to increase the growth of the one or more cotton fibers. 
     
     
         8 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the one or more extracellular nucleotides are provided at a concentration of 5, 10, 20, 30, 40, 50, 60, 70, 80, 90 or 100 μM that increases the growth of the one or more cotton fibers. 
     
     
         9 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the one or more extracellular nucleotides are provided at a concentration of 125 μM or greater to decrease the growth of the one or more cotton fibers. 
     
     
         10 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the one or more extracellular nucleotides alter the activity of one or more ectoapyrase enzymes. 
     
     
         11 . A method of modulating plant fiber growth comprising:
 contacting a plant cell with one or more modulators of ectoapyrase gene transcription, wherein the modulation alters the length of one or more cotton fibers.   
     
     
         12 . The method of  claim 11 , wherein the one or more modulators of ectoapyrase gene transcription alters ectoapyrase gene transcription are selected from anti-sense or siRNA gene inhibitors. 
     
     
         13 . The method of  claim 11 , wherein the one or more modulators of ectoapyrase gene transcription are antagonists of ectoapyrase gene transcription to decrease fiber growth. 
     
     
         14 . The method of  claim 11 , wherein the one or more modulators of ectoapyrase gene transcription are agonists of ectoapyrase gene transcription to increase fiber growth. 
     
     
         15 . A recombinant plant comprising a plant cell that has increased expression of ectoapyrases that increases cotton fiber growth. 
     
     
         16 . A method of modulating plant fiber growth comprising:
 contacting a plant cell with one or more inhibitors of ectoapyrase activity comprising an anti-ectoapyrase antibody or fragments thereof, wherein the inhibition decreases the length of one or more cotton fibers.   
     
     
         17 . A composition that modulates the length of one or more cotton fibers in a plant comprising at least one of an extracellular exogenous nucleotides selected from di-nucleotides, tri-nucleotides, or poorly-hydrolyzable nucleotides, a modulator of ectoapyrase gene transcription, an anti-ectoapyrase antibody or fragments thereof, at a concentration sufficient to modulate growth of one or more cotton fibers. 
     
     
         18 . The composition of  claim 17 , wherein the one or more poorly-hydrolyzable nucleotides comprise thio, methylene, amide or methyl-modified ATP, ADP, UTP, UDP, CTP, CDP, TTP, TDP, GTP, GDP, dATP, dADP, dUTP, dUDP, dCTP, dCDP, dTTP, dTDP, dGTP, dGDP, ATPγS, ADPβS, and analogues and combinations thereof. 
     
     
         19 . The composition of  claim 17 , wherein the one or more extracellular nucleotides are provided in a concentration that increases growth of the one or more cotton fibers. 
     
     
         20 . The composition of  claim 17 , wherein the one or more extracellular nucleotides are provided in a concentration that decreases growth of the one or more cotton fibers. 
     
     
         21 . The composition of  claim 17 , wherein the one or more extracellular nucleotides are provided at a concentration between 1 μM and 100 μM to increase the growth of the one or more cotton fibers. 
     
     
         22 . The composition of  claim 17 , wherein the one or more extracellular nucleotides are provided at a concentration between 125 μM and 200 μM to decrease the growth of the one or more cotton fibers. 
     
     
         23 . The composition of  claim 17 , wherein the one or more extracellular nucleotides are provided at a concentration between 10 μM and 75 μM to increase the growth of the one or more cotton fibers. 
     
     
         24 . The composition of  claim 17 , wherein the one or more extracellular nucleotides are provided at a concentration of 5, 10, 20, 30, 40, 50, 60, 70, 80, 90 or 100 μM that increases the growth of the one or more cotton fibers. 
     
     
         25 . The composition of  claim 17 , wherein the one or more extracellular nucleotides are provided at a concentration between 150 μM and 200 μM to decrease the growth of the one or more cotton fibers. 
     
     
         26 . The composition of  claim 17 , wherein the one or more extracellular nucleotides alter the activity of one or more ectoapyrase enzymes. 
     
     
         27 . A recombinant plant exhibiting increased cotton fiber growth as compared to the corresponding wild-type plant, wherein the recombinant plant comprises a recombinant nucleic acid encoding an ectoapyrase gene inhibitor operably associated with a regulatory sequence. 
     
     
         28 . The recombinant plant of  claim 27 , wherein the regulatory sequence is a promoter, a constitutive promoter or an inducible promoter. 
     
     
         29 . The recombinant plant of  claim 27 , wherein the nucleic acid is contained within a T-DNA derived vector. 
     
     
         30 . Recombinant plant tissue derived from the recombinant plant of  claim 27 . 
     
     
         31 . A recombinant seed derived from the recombinant plant of  claim 30 . 
     
     
         32 . A method of making recombinant plant exhibiting increased cotton fiber growth as compared to the corresponding wild-type plant comprising:
 contacting plant cells with a nucleic acid encoding an inhibitor of an ectoapyrase, wherein the nucleic acid is operably associated with a regulatory sequence to obtain transformed plant cells;   producing plants from the transformed plant cells; and   selecting a plant exhibiting the increased cotton fiber growth and yield.   
     
     
         33 . A recombinant plant tissue derived from the recombinant plant of  claim 31   
     
     
         34 . The recombinant seed derived from the recombinant plant of  claim 33 .