Plants with Increased Yield

Abstract

This invention relates generally to a plant cell with enhanced nitrogen use efficiency and/or increased biomass production as compared to a corresponding non-transformed wild type plant cell by increasing or generating one or more activities of polypeptides associated with enhanced nitrogen use efficiency in plants.

1 . A method for producing a transgenic plant, plant cell or plant part with increased yield, enhanced nitrogen use efficiency (NUE) and/or increased biomass production as compared to a corresponding non-transformed wild type plant, plant cell or plant part, comprising increasing or generating in a plant, plant cell or plant part one or more activities selected from the group consisting of 3-keto sterol reductase, 60S ribosomal protein, adenine phosphoribosyltransferase, adenylate kinase, alkyl hydroperoxide reductase, Alkyl/aryl-sulfatase, alpha-glucosidase, alpha-mannosidase, anaphase promoting complex (APC) subunit, antiviral adaptor protein, aromatic amino acid aminotransferase II, ARV1 protein, autophagy-specific phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase complex protein subunit, b0017-protein, B0165-protein, B1258-protein, B1267-protein, B1381-protein, b1933-protein, b2165-protein, b2238-protein, b2431-protein, B2646-protein, b2766-protein, b3120-protein, carnitine acetyltransferase, cell wall endo-beta-1,3-glucanase, chaperone, Chitin synthase 3 complex protein, cholinephosphate cytidylyltransferase, chorismate mutase T/prephenate dehydrogenase (bifunctional), clathrin associated protein complex small subunit, component of the RAM signaling network, cysteine transporter, cytochrome c oxidase subunit VIII, cytosolic catalase, cytosolic serine hydroxymethyltransferase, dihydroorotate dehydrogenase, dihydrosphingosine phosphate lyase, exoribonuclease, F1F0 ATP synthase beta subunit, Factor arrest protein, G protein coupled pheromone receptor receptor, gamma-glutamyl kinase, glucoamylase, glycerol-3-phosphate transporter subunit, glycine decarboxylase, glycosyltransferase, golgi membrane exchange factor subunit, golgi membrane protein, GPI-anchored cell wall protein, GTP-binding protein, helix-loop-helix transcription activator that binds inositol/choline-responsive elements, hexose transporter, histidine kinase osmosensor that regulates an osmosensing MAP kinase cascade, hydro-lyase, hydroxylamine reductase, hydroxymyristol acyl carrier protein dehydratase, inheritance of peroxisomes protein, integral membrane protein localized to late Golgi vesicles, iron sulfur cluster assembly protein, isomerase, lysine/arginine/ornithine transporter subunit, lysine-specific metalloprotease, lysophospholipase, Mcm1p binding transcriptional repressor, Meiotic recombination protein, membrane protein, metal ion transporter, microsomal beta-keto-reductase, mitochondrial intermembrane space protein, mitochondrial protein, mitochondrial ribosomal protein of the large subunit, mitochondrial ribosomal protein of the small subunit, mitochondrial seryl-tRNA synthetase, molybdopterin biosynthesis protein, myo-inositol transporter, non-essential kinetochore protein, non-essential Ras guanine nucleotide exchange factor, non-essential small GTPase of the Rho/Rac subfamily of Ras-like proteins, Nuclear cap-binding protein complex subunit, nuclear fusion protein precursor, nuclear pore complex subunit, origin recognition complex subunit, outer membrane usher protein, oxidoreductase, peptide transporter, peptidyl-prolyl cis-trans isomerase, PhoH-like protein, phosphatidylserine decarboxylase, phosphoglucomutase/phosphomannomutase, phosphopantothenoylcysteine decarboxylase, Phosphoribosylaminoimidazole carboxylase, potassium:hydrogen antiporter, proline dehydrogenase, protein component of the large ribosomal subunit, protein involved in shmoo formation and bipolar bud site selection, protein involved in sphingolipid biosynthesis, protein kinase, protein necessary for structural stability of L-A double-stranded RNA-containing particles, protein required for maturation of ribosomal RNAs, protein translocase protein, Regulatory CAT8 protein, regulatory subunit of Glc7p type 1 protein serine-threonine phosphatase, regulatory subunit of the 26S proteasome, repressor of G1 transcription, Rho GDP-dissociation inhibitor, ribonucleoprotein, ribosomal protein of the small subunit, RNA polymerase III subunit, saccharopine dehydrogenase, short chain fatty acid transporter, signal recognition particle subunit (SRP54), signal transducing MEK kinase, SM complex B protein for mRNA splicing, spindle checkpoint complex subunit, splicing factor, Stationary phase protein, subunit of cytoplasmic phenylalanyl-tRNA synthetase, subunit of the transport protein particle (TRAPP) complex of the cis-Golgi, threonine ammonia-lyase, transcription elongation factor, transcription factor, Transcriptional activator, translational elongation factor EF-3 (HEF3), transmembrane protein with a role in cell wall polymer composition, transport protein, ubiquitin regulatory protein, UDP-N-acetyl-glucosamine-1-P transferase, v-SNARE binding protein, v-SNARE protein involved in Golgi transport, xylitol dehydrogenase, yal019w-protein, ybr262c-protein, YDR070C-protein, ydr355c-protein, YFR007W-protein, ygr122c-a-protein, ygr266w-protein, ygr290w-protein, YHL005C-protein, yhl021c-protein, yhr127w-protein, YJL010C-protein, yjl064w-protein, yjl067w-protein, yjl213w-protein, ykl100c-protein, YKL111C-protein, ykl131w-protein, ykr016w-protein, ykr021w-protein, yll014w-protein, yll023c-protein, yll037w-protein, yll049w-protein, ylr042c-protein, YLR053c-protein, ylr065c-protein, ylr125w-protein, ylr404w-protein, ylr463c-protein, yml089c-protein, YML101C-protein, yml128c-protein, YMR082C-protein, YMR126c membrane protein, YMR144W-protein, YMR160W-protein, YMR209C-protein, YMR233W-protein, YNL320W-protein, YOR097c-protein, YOR203W-protein, YPL068C-protein, Zinc finger protein, and zinc metalloprotease. 
     
     
         2 . A method for producing a transgenic plant, plant cell or plant part with increased yield, enhanced nitrogen use efficiency (NUE) and/or increased biomass production as compared to a corresponding non-transformed wild type plant, plant cell or plant part, comprising increasing or generating in a plant, plant cell or plant part the expression and/or activity of a polypeptide encoded by a nucleic acid molecule selected from the group consisting of:
 (a) a nucleic acid molecule encoding the polypeptide shown in column 5 or 7 of table II;   (b) a nucleic acid molecule shown in column 5 or 7 of table I;   (c) a nucleic acid molecule having at least 30% sequence identity to any one of the nucleic acid molecules shown in column 5 or 7 of table I and conferring increased yield, enhanced NUE and/or increased biomass production when expressed in a plant, plant cell or plant part as compared to a corresponding non-transformed wild type plant, plant cell or plant part;   (d) a nucleic acid molecule encoding a polypeptide having at least 30% sequence identity to any one of the polypeptides shown in column 5 or 7 of table II and conferring increased yield, enhanced NUE and/or increased biomass production when expressed in a plant, plant cell or plant part as compared to a corresponding non-transformed wild type plant, plant cell or plant part;   (e) a nucleic acid molecule which hybridizes with the nucleic acid molecule of (a) or (b) under stringent hybridization conditions and confers increased yield, enhanced NUE and/or increased biomass production when expressed in a plant, plant cell or plant part as compared to a corresponding non-transformed wild type plant, plant cell or plant part; and   (f) a nucleic acid molecule encoding a polypeptide comprising one or more polypeptide motifs as shown in column 7 of table IV and conferring increased yield, enhanced NUE and/or increased biomass production when expressed in a plant, plant cell or plant part as compared to a corresponding non-transformed wild type plant, plant cell or plant part,   and optionally selecting for a plant, plant cell or plant part with increased yield, enhanced nitrogen use efficiency (NUE) and/or increased biomass production as compared to a corresponding non-transformed wild type plant, plant cell or plant part.   
     
     
         3 . The method of  claim 2 , wherein the expression and/or activity of said polypeptide is increased or generated by transforming said nucleic acid molecule into said plant, plant cell or plant part. 
     
     
         4 . The method of  claim 2 , wherein said transgenic plant, plant cell or plant part has increased yield, enhanced nitrogen use efficiency (NUE) and/or increased biomass production as compared to a corresponding non-transformed wild type plant, plant cell or plant part under standard growth conditions. 
     
     
         5 . A transgenic plant, plant cell or plant part obtained by the method of  claim 2 , wherein said transgenic plant, plant cell or plant part has increased yield, enhanced nitrogen use efficiency (NUE) and/or increased biomass production as compared to a corresponding non-transformed wild type plant, plant cell or plant part. 
     
     
         6 . The transgenic plant, plant cell or plant part of  claim 5 , wherein said plant is, or said plant cell or plant part is from, a monocotyledonous plant or a dicotyledonous plant. 
     
     
         7 . The transgenic plant, plant cell or plant part of  claim 5 , wherein said plant is, or said plant cell or plant part is from, a plant selected from the group consisting of maize, wheat, rye, oat, triticale, rice, barley, soybean, peanut, cotton, oil seed rape, canola, winter oil seed rape, cotton, corn,  manihot , pepper, sunflower, flax, borage, safflower, linseed, primrose, rapeseed, turnip rape, tagetes, solanaceous plants, potato, tobacco, eggplant, tomato,  Vicia  species, pea, alfalfa, coffee, cacao, tea,  Salix  species, oil palm, coconut, perennial grass, forage crops and  Arabidopsis thaliana.    
     
     
         8 . Seeds or progeny of the transgenic plant of  claim 5 , wherein said seeds or progeny comprise a recombinant nucleic acid molecule encoding said polypeptide. 
     
     
         9 . Harvestable parts of the transgenic plant of  claim 5 , wherein said harvestable parts comprise a recombinant nucleic acid molecule encoding said polypeptide. 
     
     
         10 . An isolated recombinant nucleic acid molecule selected from the group consisting of:
 (a) a nucleic acid molecule encoding the polypeptide shown in column 5 or 7 of table II B;   (b) a nucleic acid molecule shown in column 5 or 7 of table I B;   (c) a nucleic acid molecule having at least 30% sequence identity to any one of the nucleic acid molecules shown in column 5 or 7 of table I and conferring increased yield, enhanced NUE and/or increased biomass production when expressed in a plant, plant cell or plant part as compared to a corresponding non-transformed wild type plant, plant cell or plant part;   (d) a nucleic acid molecule encoding a polypeptide having at least 30% sequence identity to any one of the polypeptides shown in column 5 or 7 of table II and conferring increased yield, enhanced NUE and/or increased biomass production when expressed in a plant, plant cell or plant part as compared to a corresponding non-transformed wild type plant, plant cell or plant part;   (e) a nucleic acid molecule which hybridizes with the nucleic acid molecule of (a) or (b) under stringent hybridization conditions and confers increased yield, enhanced NUE and/or increased biomass production when expressed in a plant, plant cell or plant part as compared to a corresponding non-transformed wild type plant, plant cell or plant part; and   (f) a nucleic acid molecule encoding a polypeptide comprising one or more polypeptide motifs as shown in column 7 of table IV and conferring increased yield, enhanced NUE and/or increased biomass production when expressed in a plant, plant cell or plant part as compared to a corresponding non-transformed wild type plant, plant cell or plant part.   
     
     
         11 . An expression construct comprising the isolated recombinant nucleic acid molecule of  claim 10 . 
     
     
         12 . A vector comprising:
 (a) the isolated recombinant nucleic acid molecule of  claim 10 ; or   (b) an expression construct comprising the isolated recombinant nucleic acid molecule of (a).   
     
     
         13 . A non-human host cell comprising:
 (a) the isolated recombinant nucleic acid molecule of  claim 10 ;   (b) an expression construct comprising the isolated recombinant nucleic acid molecule of (a); or   (c) a vector comprising the isolated recombinant nucleic acid molecule of (a) or the expression construct of (b).   
     
     
         14 . A process for producing a polypeptide comprising producing a polypeptide in the non-human host cell of  claim 13 . 
     
     
         15 . A transgenic plant, plant cell or plant part comprising:
 (a) the isolated recombinant nucleic acid molecule of  claim 10 ;   (b) an expression construct comprising the isolated recombinant nucleic acid molecule of (a); or   (c) a vector comprising the isolated recombinant nucleic acid molecule of (a) or the expression construct of (b).   
     
     
         16 . The transgenic plant, plant cell or plant part of  claim 15 , wherein said transgenic plant, plant cell or plant part shows improved nutrient use efficiency, improved abiotic stress tolerance, or both improved nutrient use efficiency and improved abiotic stress tolerance. 
     
     
         17 . The transgenic plant, plant cell or plant part of  claim 15 , wherein said transgenic plant, plant cell or plant part shows enhanced NUE. 
     
     
         18 . The transgenic plant, plant cell or plant part of  claim 15 , wherein said transgenic plant, plant cell or plant part shows increased low temperature tolerance and/or increased tolerance to drought conditions. 
     
     
         19 . The transgenic plant, plant cell or plant part of  claim 15 , wherein said transgenic plant, plant cell or plant part has increased yield in the absence of stress as well as nutrient deficiency. 
     
     
         20 . A method for producing a transgenic plant, plant cell or plant part with increased yield, enhanced nitrogen use efficiency (NUE) and/or increased biomass production as compared to a corresponding non-transformed wild type plant, plant cell or plant part, comprising:
 (a) transforming a plant, plant cell or plant part an expression vector comprising the isolated recombinant nucleic acid molecule of  claim 10 ;   (b) generating from the plant cell or plant part a transgenic plant; and   (c) selecting for a transgenic plant having increased yield, enhanced nitrogen use efficiency (NUE) and/or increased biomass production as compared to a corresponding non-transformed wild type plant.