Plants Having Enhanced Yield-Related Traits and a Method for Making the Same

Abstract

The present invention relates generally to the field of molecular biology and concerns a method for enhancing various economically important yield-related traits in plants. More specifically, the present invention concerns a method for enhancing yield-related traits in plants by modulating expression in a plant of a nucleic acid encoding a NITR (Nitrite Reductase) polypeptide or an ASNS (Asparagine Synthase) polypeptide. The present invention also concerns plants having modulated expression of a nucleic acid encoding a NITR polypeptide or an ASNS polypeptide, which plants have enhanced yield-related traits relative to control plants. The invention also provides constructs comprising NITR-encoding nucleic acids or ASNS-encoding nucleic acids, useful in performing the methods of the invention.

1 . A method for enhancing yield-related traits in plants relative to control plants, comprising modulating expression in a plant of a nucleic acid encoding an ASNS, wherein said ASNS is represented by SEQ ID NO: 63 or an orthologue or paralogue thereof. 
     
     
         2 . The method according to  claim 1 , wherein said modulated expression is effected by introducing and expressing in a plant a nucleic acid encoding said ASNS polypeptide. 
     
     
         3 . The method according to  claim 1 , wherein said nucleic acid encoding said ASNS polypeptide is a portion of SEQ ID NO: 62, or a nucleic acid capable of hybridizing with such a nucleic acid. 
     
     
         4 . The method according to  claim 1 , wherein said nucleic acid sequence encodes SEQ ID NO: 63. 
     
     
         5 . The method according to  claim 1 , wherein said enhanced yield-related traits comprise increased early vigour, increased yield, increased root thickness, and/or increased seed yield, relative to control plants. 
     
     
         6 . The method according to  claim 1 , wherein said enhanced yield-related traits are obtained under non-stress conditions or under conditions of reduced nutrient availability. 
     
     
         7 . The method according to  claim 2 , wherein said nucleic acid is operably linked to a constitutive promoter, a GOS2 promoter, or a GOS2 promoter from rice. 
     
     
         8 . The method according to  claim 1 , wherein said nucleic acid encoding an ASNS polypeptide is of plant origin, from a monocotyledonous plant, from the family Poaceae, from the genus  Oryza , or from  Oryza sativa.    
     
     
         9 . A plant or part thereof, including seeds, obtained by the method according to  claim 1 , wherein said plant or part thereof comprises a recombinant nucleic acid encoding an ASNS polypeptide. 
     
     
         10 . A construct comprising:
 (i) the nucleic acid encoding an ASNS polypeptide as defined in  claim 1 ;   (ii) one or more control sequences capable of driving expression of the nucleic acid sequence of (a); and optionally   (iii) a transcription termination sequence.   
     
     
         11 . The construct according to  claim 10 , wherein one of said control sequences is a constitutive promoter, a GOS2 promoter, or a GOS2 promoter from rice. 
     
     
         12 . A method for making plants having increased yield-related traits comprising transforming a plant with the construct according to  claim 10 . 
     
     
         13 . A plant, plant part or plant cell transformed with the construct according to  claim 10 . 
     
     
         14 . A method for the production of a transgenic plant having increased yield, increased biomass, and/or increased seed yield relative to control plants, comprising:
 (i) introducing and expressing in a plant the nucleic acid encoding an ASNS polypeptide as defined in  claim 1 ; and   (ii) cultivating the plant under conditions promoting plant growth and development.   
     
     
         15 . A transgenic plant having increased yield-related traits resulting from increased expression of the nucleic acid encoding an ASNS polypeptide as defined in  claim 1 , or a transgenic plant cell derived from said transgenic plant. 
     
     
         16 . The transgenic plant of  claim 15 , wherein the increased yield-related traits are selected from the group consisting of increased early vigour, increased root thickness, and increased seed yield relative to control plants. 
     
     
         17 . The plant according to  claim 9 , or a transgenic plant cell derived thereof, wherein said plant is a crop plant, a monocot, a cereal, rice, maize, wheat, barley, millet, rye, triticale, sorghum, or oats. 
     
     
         18 . Harvestable parts of the plant according to  claim 17 , 
     
     
         19 . The harvestable parts of  claim 18 , wherein said harvestable parts are root biomass and/or seeds. 
     
     
         20 . Products derived from the plant according to  claim 17  and/or from harvestable parts of said plant.